Jack Gotta
Encyclopedia
Jack Gotta is a former professional football player, coach, and general manager.
Gotta played Tight End
at Oregon State in 1952 and Hamilton Air Force Base
from 1954-1956. He signed with the Cleveland Browns
in 1956
, but was cut and played with the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
from 1957-1959
. In 1960
he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
. He sometimes played corner linebacker
and safety due to injuries on defense
. During the 1964 season
he was cut by Saskatchewan and signed by the Montreal Alouettes
.
In 1965
he rejoined the Roughriders as an assistant coach. He resigned after the 1967 season
and joined the Ottawa Rough Riders
coaching staff. In 1970
he replaced the retiring Frank Clair
as head coach. The team went from first to last place, however the team made the playoffs every year afterwards. He had a 30-26 record in his fours seasons as Ottawa's head coach, winning the Grey Cup
in 1973
and the Annis Stukus Trophy
in 1972
and 1973.
In 1974 he jumped to the World Football League
's Birmingham Americans
as head coach and general manager
. The Americans, led by George Mira
, Charley Harraway, and Dennis Homan
, finished with a 15-5 record and won the only WFL World Bowl
at Birmingham's
Legion Field
, defeating the Florida Blazers 22-21.
In 1975 the Americans folded, new ownership was brought in and the team re-named themselves the Vulcans. Gotta stayed on as General Manager only. The team had a league best 9-3 record when the WFL folded. He returned to the CFL in 1977
as head coach/general manager of the Calgary Stampeders
. He retired as coach after four seasons, but remained on as GM.
When Jerry Williams resigned as head coach after the 1981 CFL season
, he returned to the sidelines. He remained in Calgary until 1983, when he was fired after missing the playoffs.
As the Stampeders coach, he finished with a 44-46-6 record and won Coach of the Year in 1978
.
In 1984
he joined the CFL on CTV
as a commentator. He left the network to become head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
in 1985
. In 2 seasons with the Green Riders he had a 11-22-1 record,
Gotta played Tight End
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
at Oregon State in 1952 and Hamilton Air Force Base
Hamilton Air Force Base
Hamilton Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located along the western shore of San Pablo Bay, south of Novato, California.-History:...
from 1954-1956. He signed with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1956
1956 NFL season
The 1956 NFL season was the 37th regular season of the National Football League. CBS became the first network to televise some regular season games across the nation...
, but was cut and played with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
from 1957-1959
1959 CFL season
The 1959 CFL season was the sixth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it was the second season of the Canadian Football League.-Final regular season standings:...
. In 1960
1960 CFL season
The 1960 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 7th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 3rd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1960:...
he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
. He sometimes played corner linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and safety due to injuries on defense
Defense (sport)
In many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
. During the 1964 season
1964 CFL season
The 1964 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 11th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 7th Canadian Football League season.-Final regular season standings:...
he was cut by Saskatchewan and signed by the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
.
In 1965
1965 CFL season
The 1965 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 12th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 8th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1965:...
he rejoined the Roughriders as an assistant coach. He resigned after the 1967 season
1967 CFL season
The 1967 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 14th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 10th Canadian Football League season.-CFL news in 1967:...
and joined the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
coaching staff. In 1970
1970 CFL season
The 1970 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 17th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 13th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1970:...
he replaced the retiring Frank Clair
Frank Clair
Frank James Clair was a coach in the Canadian Football League, nicknamed "the Professor" for his ability to recognize and develop talent. Clair is the 3rd all-time winningest head coach in the CFL with 147 wins and the winningest head coach in the post-season with 27 vistories...
as head coach. The team went from first to last place, however the team made the playoffs every year afterwards. He had a 30-26 record in his fours seasons as Ottawa's head coach, winning the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
in 1973
1973 CFL season
The 1973 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 20th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 16th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1973:...
and the Annis Stukus Trophy
Annis Stukus Trophy
The Annis Stukus Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, which is presented annually by the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Association to the Coach of the Year, as determined by the members of the Football Reporters of Canada...
in 1972
1972 CFL season
The 1972 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 19th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 15th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1972:...
and 1973.
In 1974 he jumped to the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
's Birmingham Americans
Birmingham Americans
The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League . The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in the upstart league's inaugural season in 1974...
as head coach and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
. The Americans, led by George Mira
George Mira
George Ignacio Mira is a former professional American football player. A quarterback drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft from the University of Miami, Mira played in eight NFL seasons from 1964-1971 for three different teams...
, Charley Harraway, and Dennis Homan
Dennis Homan
Dennis Frank Homan is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs . He later played for the Birmingham Americans and Birmingham Vulcans of the World Football League...
, finished with a 15-5 record and won the only WFL World Bowl
World Bowl
The World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg .-World League of American Football:When NFL Europe was...
at Birmingham's
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
, defeating the Florida Blazers 22-21.
In 1975 the Americans folded, new ownership was brought in and the team re-named themselves the Vulcans. Gotta stayed on as General Manager only. The team had a league best 9-3 record when the WFL folded. He returned to the CFL in 1977
1977 CFL season
The 1977 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 24th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 20th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1977:...
as head coach/general manager of the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. He retired as coach after four seasons, but remained on as GM.
When Jerry Williams resigned as head coach after the 1981 CFL season
1981 CFL season
The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
, he returned to the sidelines. He remained in Calgary until 1983, when he was fired after missing the playoffs.
As the Stampeders coach, he finished with a 44-46-6 record and won Coach of the Year in 1978
1978 CFL season
The 1978 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 25th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 21st Canadian Football League season.-Final regular season standings:...
.
In 1984
1984 CFL season
The 1984 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 31st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 27th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1984:...
he joined the CFL on CTV
CFL on CTV
CFL on CTV was a presentation of Canadian Football League football aired on the CTV Television Network from 1962 to 1986. CTV dropped coverage of the CFL after the 1986 season...
as a commentator. He left the network to become head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
in 1985
1985 CFL season
The 1985 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 32nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 28th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1985:...
. In 2 seasons with the Green Riders he had a 11-22-1 record,