Don Matthews was one of a kind, and someone football fans in this land will never forget.
One mention of his name brings forth a number of superlatives.
He was brash, he was bold, he was in your face, and he was one of the best at his craft.
Depending on which side of the football field you stood, you either loved or hated “The Don.”
Matthews, one of the all-time greatest coaches in CFL history, died Wednesday at the age of 77.
Back in 2012, Matthews announced that he was battling cancer.
A year earlier, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, a no brainer given the career that he carved out in the Great White North.
After 22 seasons as a CFL head coach, he retired with a then-record 231 victories and won five Grey Cup championships, tied for the most ever with Frank Clair, Hugh Campbell and Wally Buono.
If you were a player on his team, and you did your job, he loved you.
If you weren’t playing up to his standards, he’d let you know.
Matthews was a straight shooter, a tactician, and a relentless force that brought out the best in the teams that he guided.
“The Don” is simply one of the best, ever.
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