Former B.C. Lions coach Dave Skrien, who directed the Leos to their first Grey Cup championship in 1964, died Tuesday at his home in Mound, Minnesota, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Skrien coached the Lions for seven seasons (1961-1967).
He led the Lions to their first Grey Cup appearance in 1963, a 21-10 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The next season, after finishing the CFL regular season with a 11-2-3 record, Skrien’s Lions topped the Ticats 34-24 in a Grey Cup rematch at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium.
The Lions didn’t win another Grey Cup until 1985.
Following his tenure with B.C., Skrien served as an assistant coach with Boise State and the Edmonton Eskimos before handling head coaching duties with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for two seasons (1971-72).
He later coached Golden Valley Lutheran College from 1977 to 1984, before wrapping up his career as recruiting coordinator at the University of Minnesota, his alma mater.
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