Mr. Wally Buono

[Lionheart]

That was embarrassing.

What are you going to do about it?

[Lionheart]

This is my first time ever taking an official stance on this..but it's time to step down as coach.

Be a good GM. Be a great GM, but find a new set of coaches.

Please.

[bclions16]

Who is Walter Buono?

[Coast Mountain Lion]

Who is Walter Buono?

Maybe it's his father, who stayed up every night flooding the backyard rink for his loving son so CBC could one day make a tv movie about him. No wait....

[Lionheart]

Who is Walter Buono?

If your wondering if I'm in the mood for dumb questions don't wonder too long..

[bclions16]

Who is Walter Buono?

If your wondering if I'm in the mood for dumb questions don't wonder too long..

Just pointing out in a not very humorous way that Wally isn't short for Walter.

[Blitz]

This is my first time ever taking an official stance on this..but it's time to step down as coach.

Be a good GM. Be a great GM, but find a new set of coaches.

Please.

You are always very considered Lionheart so your comment is powerful.

Wally has been held in high esteem here in B.C. because he has brought a lot of stability to the Leos organization, many years of overall success, and overall has been a good assessor of talent.

Due to that, we've forgiven him of many poor game decisions, quarterback decisions, coaching hirings, and too many disappointments in the playoffs from a team that should have been a dynasty.

However, Wally should have the same standards for himself as he does for his players. Lavar Glover, an all-star last season, gets caught looking into the backfield for two plays in one game and is banished to pergatory, even though he is more talented and a better player than Tristen George. Glover has a bad game and there is no second chance until the end of the season and only due to injury. Glover has been our best defensive player the past two weeks.

However, Wally makes a ton of poor decisions. Wally says you're only as good as your last game, no matter what you've done in the past. Compassion is not a factor in his decision making nor should it be. Perhaps he needs to consider judging himself in the same way.

[Lionheart]

[qu
However, Wally makes a ton of poor decisions. Wally says you're only as good as your last game, no matter what you've done in the past. Compassion is not a factor in his decision making nor should it be. Perhaps he needs to consider judging himself in the same way.

I"m wondering if he does hold the couches or any organizational decisions the same way as the players.

Am I as good as my last coached game?

I know this is a tough question that no one on here can answer, I'm wondering if he will take a long hard look at this question or just throw another dart at our two older players in the offseason?

[airkore]

Re:stepping down as coach.

Watch what you wish for .
It was a bad year I agree but let's not get carried away and blow it all up.Hamilton fired coaches yearly and look what that got them....a decade of losing.

Wally has been great for this team and is the only reason I keep my season tickets. Don't expect the Lions to find another "Marc Trestman" out there.Wally would prob promote from within and we don't need that.Fire some position coaches and make some player changes. ie. #97,90,6, to name a few.

[hwgill]

He doesn't hold the coaches to the same standard. If he had, Chap would have been fired last year, and Benevides would have been replaced at the mid-point of the season.

[Blitz]

Wally's name is actually Pasquale. His father died when he was a young boy and he and his brother were sent to a boarding school, where they grew up.

That aside, the Lions desperately need new coaching blood, like a new OC and DC with autonomy to run their teams. How about Rick Worman, who was a highly regarded OC until his surprising firing by the Esks this season?

We do need new coaching blood. I'd rather have it an the coordinator position because if Wally steps aside as HC, it will likely be heir apparent Mike Benevedes as Head Coach. If not, it will be Chap. Mark Washington will become defensive coordinator. The scenario is more scary than what we have now. The only decent scenario is to hire Ritchie as Head Coach but that won't happen.

I could live with Kruck as offensive coordinator, even though I'd prefer someone from outside. Wally won't demote Benevedes so the next best choice is to hire Ritchie as a consultant and Wally to stay another season.

I would also hope we can get Scott Ackles hired as a future President before Wally assumes that role and we'll really be in a future pickle.

[Sir Purrcival]

Although understanding of some of the sentiment shown in this thread, I am also disappointed. Wally Buono is only the most successful coach that this league has ever seen. Has he made some questionable decisions, yes. He has also made many astute decisions even this year. Clearly some more house keeping is in order and there are probably at least 5 or 6 players on this team that have seen their last game in a Lions uniform. It seems very clear that the loss of Bob Ackles was not only the loss of a great fellow but a sober second opinion that Wally probably benefited from having. Things go in cycles and after 4 or 5 pretty decent seasons including a Grey Cup, we are struggling. That is the way of things. Maybe if you put 3 seasons like this together, I will join the call to remove him, but not now. As one poster suggested, be careful what you wish for or do we want to remember the Adam Rita days? Let's see what unfolds in the off season. I too would be very happy to get Scott Ackles into the fold if that were ever to be. I can see it happening some day but I think the closeness to his fathers death is a problem for now. It may be 4 or 5 years down the road.

[cromartie]

Although understanding of some of the sentiment shown in this thread, I am also disappointed. Wally Buono is only the most successful coach that this league has ever seen. Has he made some questionable decisions, yes. He has also made many astute decisions even this year. Clearly some more house keeping is in order and there are probably at least 5 or 6 players on this team that have seen their last game in a Lions uniform. It seems very clear that the loss of Bob Ackles was not only the loss of a great fellow but a sober second opinion that Wally probably benefited from having. Things go in cycles and after 4 or 5 pretty decent seasons including a Grey Cup, we are struggling. That is the way of things. Maybe if you put 3 seasons like this together, I will join the call to remove him, but not now. As one poster suggested, be careful what you wish for or do we want to remember the Adam Rita days? Let's see what unfolds in the off season. I too would be very happy to get Scott Ackles into the fold if that were ever to be. I can see it happening some day but I think the closeness to his fathers death is a problem for now. It may be 4 or 5 years down the road.

I don't think anyone with a sane and stable look at the organization wants Wally gone. Most of us need only to look to the east to remember the Adam Rita days.

But a bad deal is not better than no deal at all, and it should be abundantly clear that pretty much the whole staff under Wally needs to be broomed at this point. And this is before we engage in a serious discussion on personnel.

Things don't necessarily need to go in cycles if you have a solid plan in place, yet are flexible enough to game plan around the strengths and weaknesses of your personnel (while trying to acquire personnel that can run your preferred system). This has clearly not happened, and the rest of the league has caught up to us, as a number of us predicted as early as 2005.

[Lionut]

How soon we all forget the Adam Rita era.

This was a deeply disappointing season, but we were still 8-10. Toronto, where former Lion boss Adam Rita is now the football guru, is a shining 3-14 for the second season in a row. Wally Buono is still in the prime of his career, and he knows how to build winning organizations. He is the CFL`s winningest coach for a reason, and has delivered to this city the best stretch of seasons since, well, the second winningest head coach in CFL history was in town.

More to the point, Wally has also proven in the past that he has no difficulty parting ways with players and coaches who are underperforming. I think we have to let Wally have an opportunity to fix this. If we checked in with three straight brutal seasons, THEN I can see hitting the panic button.

Final point - that whole kick-the-coach-upstairs-and-bring-in-a-new-guy trick doesn`t always work well historically...