John Gregory (coach)
Encyclopedia
John Gregory is an American football
head coach
who most recently coached the Iowa Barnstormers
, an Arena football
team currently playing in the AFL
.
, where he was assistant head coach and athletic director of the new football program. In Gregory's three years there, the program had a 24–3–1 record and won the Wool Bowl in 1969. John Matuszak
, who was recruited by Gregory, went on to become the number one pick in the 1973 NFL Draft
.
His first college head coaching job was at South Dakota State, where he had 55–50–3 record from 1972–1981. Gregory is third in school history in coaching victories and his 1979 team had a single season best record of 9–2. SDSU didn’t have a winning record the previous 11 seasons before Gregory’s arrival.
After serving as Northern Iowa offensive coordinator in 1982, Gregory was the offensive line coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
for the six seasons. In 1984
Winnipeg won the Grey Cup
in part due to Gregory’s offensive line that helped set a CFL single season rushing record.
he was hired to coach Saskatchewan Roughriders
, a team that had no playoff appearances in the past 11 years. In his first season as Saskatchewan's head coach, he led the Riders to an 11–7 record and a playoff berth. He won the Annis Stukus Trophy
as the league's coach of the year. The following year the Roughriders finished 9–9 and won the 77th Grey Cup
, their first since 1966
. After a 1–6 start in 1991
, he was fired and replaced by Don Matthews
. He had a 35–43–1 overall record in Saskatchewan.
as head coach of the 0–8 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
. He made the postseason two of the four years he was with the team and finished with a 24–40 record.
hired Gregory to build an Arena Football League expansion team
in Des Moines, Iowa
. Gregory signed Kurt Warner
, then a little known quarterback working at a local grocery store to a tryout. Gregory coached the Iowa Barnstormers
to five division titles in six seasons and led the team to two ArenaBowl
s. Quarterback
s Kurt Warner and Aaron Garcia are considered two of the greatest AFL players ever. Gregory was named AFL Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996. The Barnstormers relocated to New York in 2000 and Gregory left the team in 2003. Gregory coached the Carolina Cobras
to a 6–10 record in 2004 before the team folded.
In 2005, Gregory came out of retirement to coach the Arkansas Twisters
. He went 5–7 in his first season and 10–6 in the 2006 season, losing the National Conference Championship to the Spokane Shock
. In 2007 the Twisters improved to a 12–4 record, a franchise best, but lost to the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings in the first round of the playoffs.
In 2007, it was announced that Gregory would return to Iowa to coach the new expansion Iowa Barnstormers.
On May 17, 2011, Gregory resigned from his position with the Barnstormers.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
who most recently coached the Iowa Barnstormers
Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 following the organization's restructuring...
, an Arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team currently playing in the AFL
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
.
Early years
Gregory's first coaching job was at Iowa Central Community CollegeIowa Central Community College
Iowa Central Community College is a community college located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States, with satellite campuses in Webster City and Storm Lake. It was created in 1966 by the merger of Fort Dodge Community College with two other nearby schools....
, where he was assistant head coach and athletic director of the new football program. In Gregory's three years there, the program had a 24–3–1 record and won the Wool Bowl in 1969. John Matuszak
John Matuszak
John Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981...
, who was recruited by Gregory, went on to become the number one pick in the 1973 NFL Draft
1973 NFL Draft
The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
.
His first college head coaching job was at South Dakota State, where he had 55–50–3 record from 1972–1981. Gregory is third in school history in coaching victories and his 1979 team had a single season best record of 9–2. SDSU didn’t have a winning record the previous 11 seasons before Gregory’s arrival.
After serving as Northern Iowa offensive coordinator in 1982, Gregory was the offensive line coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
for the six seasons. 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:...
Winnipeg won 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 part due to Gregory’s offensive line that helped set a CFL single season rushing record.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
After the 1987 season1987 CFL season
The 1987 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 34th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 30th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1987:...
he was hired to coach 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...
, a team that had no playoff appearances in the past 11 years. In his first season as Saskatchewan's head coach, he led the Riders to an 11–7 record and a playoff berth. He won 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...
as the league's coach of the year. The following year the Roughriders finished 9–9 and won the 77th Grey Cup
77th Grey Cup
The 77th Grey Cup was the 1989 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at SkyDome in Toronto, ON. The Roughriders defeated the Tiger-Cats, 43-40 on Dave Ridgway's winning field-goal...
, their first since 1966
1966 CFL season
The 1966 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 13th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 9th Canadian Football League season .-CFL news in 1966:...
. After a 1–6 start in 1991
1991 CFL season
The 1991 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1991:...
, he was fired and replaced by Don Matthews
Don Matthews
Don Matthews, a.k.a. "The Don", is a former head coach of several teams in the Canadian Football League and is the second winningest head coach in CFL history with 231 wins...
. He had a 35–43–1 overall record in Saskatchewan.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
That same season, he was hired to replaced David BeckmanDavid Beckman
David Beckman is a former Canadian Football League head coach.Beckman began coaching as an assistant at his alma mater Baldwin-Wallace. From there he coached at University of Evansville and spent the years of 1973-1978 with the Iowa Hawkeyes.The next six years Beckman spent in the front office of...
as head coach of the 0–8 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
. He made the postseason two of the four years he was with the team and finished with a 24–40 record.
Arena Football
In 1995, Jim FosterJim Foster
James F. Foster is the founder and first commissioner of the Arena Football League. He, along with two other partners, owns Gridiron Enterprises, which acts as the sanctioning body of the sport of arena football...
hired Gregory to build an Arena Football League expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. Gregory signed Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
, then a little known quarterback working at a local grocery store to a tryout. Gregory coached the Iowa Barnstormers
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
to five division titles in six seasons and led the team to two ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
s. Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s Kurt Warner and Aaron Garcia are considered two of the greatest AFL players ever. Gregory was named AFL Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996. The Barnstormers relocated to New York in 2000 and Gregory left the team in 2003. Gregory coached the Carolina Cobras
Carolina Cobras
Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Cobras, who played in the 1988 AFL season.The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League...
to a 6–10 record in 2004 before the team folded.
In 2005, Gregory came out of retirement to coach the Arkansas Twisters
Arkansas Twisters
The Allen Wranglers are a professional indoor football team based in Allen, Texas play in the Indoor Football League. The Wranglers play their home games at the Allen Event Center.-History:...
. He went 5–7 in his first season and 10–6 in the 2006 season, losing the National Conference Championship to the Spokane Shock
Spokane Shock
The Spokane Shock is a professional arena football team of the Arena Football League from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena...
. In 2007 the Twisters improved to a 12–4 record, a franchise best, but lost to the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings in the first round of the playoffs.
In 2007, it was announced that Gregory would return to Iowa to coach the new expansion Iowa Barnstormers.
On May 17, 2011, Gregory resigned from his position with the Barnstormers.
CFL
| Team | |Regular Season | SAS 1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 80th in franchise history. Despite a 9–9 regular season record, the Roughriders ended their season as Grey Cup champions... |
1989 1989 CFL season The 1989 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 36th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 32nd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1989:... |
9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in West Division | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Won Grey Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS | 1990 1990 CFL season The 1990 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 37th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 33rd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1990:J... |
9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in West Division | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost West Semi-Final | ||
| SAS | 1991 1991 CFL season The 1991 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1991:... |
1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | 4th in West Division | – | – | – | Fired | ||
| HAM 1991 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season The 1991 Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished in 4th place in the East division with a 3–15–0 record and failed to make the playoffs.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Season schedule:-References:... |
1991 1991 CFL season The 1991 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1991:... |
3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 4th in East Division | – | – | – | – | ||
| HAM 1992 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season The 1992 Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished in 2nd place in the East division with a 11–7–0 record. They appeared in the East Final.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Schedule:-Postseason:-References:... |
1992 1992 CFL season -1992 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Doug Flutie , Calgary Stampeders*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Ray Elgaard , Saskatchewan Roughriders*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Willie Pless , Edmonton Eskimos... |
11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 2nd in East Division | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost East Final | ||
| HAM 1993 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season The 1993 Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished in 2nd place in the East division with a 6–12–0 record. They appeared in the East Final.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Schedule:-Postseason:-References:... |
1993 1993 CFL season The 1993 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 40th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 36th Canadian Football League season.-CFL news in 1993:... |
6 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 2nd in East Division | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost East Final | ||
| HAM 1994 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season The 1994 Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished in 5th place in the East division with a 4–14–0 record and failed to make the playoffs.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Schedule:-References:... |
1994 1994 CFL season The 1994 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 41st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 37th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1994:... |
1 | 5 | 0 | .167 | 5th in East Division | – | – | – | Fired | ||
| Total | 45 | 63 | 0 | .417 | 0 Division Championships |
5 | 3 | .625 | 1 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... s |
|||
AFL
| Team | |Regular Season | 1995 1995 Arena Football League season The 1995 Arena Football League season was the 9th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl IX. The AFL re-aligned its divisions for the 3rd straight year. It re-aligned to two divisions per conference... | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 2nd in AC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost in AC Semifinals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 1996 1996 Arena Football League season The 1996 Arena Football League season was the 10th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X. The AFL finally stabilized its scheduled number of games. It expanded to a 14-game season, which would remain... |
12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in AC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost in ArenaBowl X | |
| Iowa | 1997 1997 Arena Football League season The 1997 Arena Football League season was the 11th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl XI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in AC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost in ArenaBowl XI | |
| Iowa | 1998 1998 Arena Football League season The 1998 Arena Football League season was the 12th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3rd in AC Central | – | – | – | – | |
| Iowa | 1999 1999 Arena Football League season The 1999 Arena Football League season was the 13th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Albany Firebirds, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XIII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in AC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost in AC Final | |
| Iowa | 2000 2000 Arena Football League season The 2000 Arena Football League season was the 14th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XIV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 1st in AC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in AC Semifinal | |
| New York | 2001 2001 Arena Football League season The 2001 Arena Football League season was the 15th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Grand Rapids Rampage, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 1st in NC Eastern | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in Wild Card | |
| New York | 2002 2002 Arena Football League season The 2002 Arena Football League season was the 16th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI... |
3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 4th in NC Eastern | – | – | – | – | |
| New York | 2003 2003 Arena Football League season The 2003 Arena Football League season was the 17th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVII. The AFL expanded its season to a 16-game schedule... |
0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 4th in NC Eastern | – | – | – | – | |
| Carolina | 2004 2004 Arena Football League season The 2004 Arena Football League season was the 18th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVIII... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2nd in NC Eastern | – | – | – | – | |
| Arkansas | 2005 2005 af2 season The 2005 AF2 season was the sixth season of the AF2. The league champions were the Memphis Xplorers, who defeated the Louisville Fire in Arena Cup VI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth* Purple indicates division champion... |
5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3rd in AC South | – | – | – | – | |
| Arkansas | 2006 2006 af2 season The 2006 AF2 season was the seventh season of the AF2, the Arena Football League's minor league. The league champions were the Spokane Shock who capped off an impressive inaugural season with a win over the Green Bay Blizzard in Arena Cup VII.-Standings:... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in NC Midwest | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost in NC Final | |
| Arkansas | 2007 2007 af2 season The 2007 AF2 season was the eighth season of the AF2. The regular season began on Friday, March 30 and ended on July 28. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in ArenaCup VIII.-Standings:... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .688 | 1st in NC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in First round | |
| Iowa | 2008 2008 af2 season The 2008 AF2 season was the ninth season of the AF2. The regular season began on Friday, March 28 and ended on Saturday, July 26. The league champions were the Tennessee Valley Vipers, who beat the Spokane Shock in ArenaCup IX.-Standings:... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5th in AC Midwest | – | – | – | – | |
| Iowa | 2009 2009 af2 season The 2009 AF2 season was the AF2's 10th and final season. The regular season began on Friday, March 20 and finished on Saturday, July 25. The league champion was the Spokane Shock, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 74-27 in ArenaCup X.-Standings:... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st AC in Midwest | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in First round | |
| Iowa 2010 Iowa Barnstormers season The 2010 Iowa Barnstormers season was the 10th season for the franchise, and the sixth in the Arena Football League, after three total seasons from 2001–2009 in the AF2, which dissolved following the 2009 season. The team was coached by John Gregory and played their home games at Wells Fargo Arena... |
2010 2010 Arena Football League season The 2010 Arena Football League season was the twenty-third season in the history of the league. The regular season began on April 2, 2010 and ended on July 31... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th NC in Midwest | – | – | – | – | |
| Iowa 2011 Iowa Barnstormers season The 2011 Iowa Barnstormers season was the 11th season for the franchise, and the 7th in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by J. T. Smith, who took over as interim head coach on May 17 after John Gregory resigned... |
2011 2011 Arena Football League season The 2011 Arena Football League season was the twenty-fourth season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 11, 2011 and ended on July 23, 2011... |
2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | 4thth NC in Central | – | – | – | – | |
| Total* | 117 | 90 | 0 | .565 | 8 | 9 | .471 | ||||