Eagle Keys
Encyclopedia
Eagle Keys is a former Canadian football
player and coach and is currently the fifth most winningest Head Coach
in the Canadian Football League
. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 1990.
Eagle “Buddy” Keys was inducted into the Western Kentucky University
Athletic Hall of Fame (Football-Baseball’42, ’46–48) in 1994.
. He was All-Eastern Conference for three straight years (1949–51) with the Montreal Alouettes
and then he earned a berth on the All-Western Conference team throughout the next three seasons while playing for the Edmonton Eskimos
. He is best remembered as a player for his final game when he played on a broken leg in the Eskimos' 1954 Grey Cup triumph.
in 1964 and was promoted to Head Coach in 1965. He was awarded the CFL Coach of the Year award in 1968. In 1970, the Roughriders finished with a mark of 14 wins and 2 losses, a CFL record that stood until 1989 when Edmonton went 16–2. Keys resigned at the end of that season and coached the British Columbia Lions
from 1971 until partway through the 1975 season. In 1966 he won his only championship as a head coach, with his Roughriders team winning the 54th Grey Cup
. As such, he was voted the All-Time All-Star Coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In total, he spent 16 seasons as a head coach in the Canadian Football League.
. He and his wife Joyce (née White), now deceased, have five children.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player and coach and is currently the fifth most winningest 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...
in 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....
. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 1990.
Early life
Keys was an outstanding center and linebacker for the Hilltopper football team in 1942 and, after a stint in the military (Marine Corps) in World War II, 1946 and '47. He also lettered in baseball (pitcher-outfielder) three straight years (1946–48) after the War. He was an All-KIAC (Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) selection in football as a senior. His 1946 baseball team went a perfect 9–0, outscoring the opponents by an average of five runs a game.Eagle “Buddy” Keys was inducted into the Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
Athletic Hall of Fame (Football-Baseball’42, ’46–48) in 1994.
Professional career
Following his career on the Hill, Keys moved north to play professional football in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian 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....
. He was All-Eastern Conference for three straight years (1949–51) with 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...
and then he earned a berth on the All-Western Conference team throughout the next three seasons while playing for the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
. He is best remembered as a player for his final game when he played on a broken leg in the Eskimos' 1954 Grey Cup triumph.
Coaching career
After his six years as a player, he put in six more years as an assistant coach in the CFL before being named head coach of the Eskimos in 1959. He coached Edmonton from 1959 until 1963, became an assistant coach with the Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan 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 1964 and was promoted to Head Coach in 1965. He was awarded the CFL Coach of the Year award in 1968. In 1970, the Roughriders finished with a mark of 14 wins and 2 losses, a CFL record that stood until 1989 when Edmonton went 16–2. Keys resigned at the end of that season and coached the British Columbia Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
from 1971 until partway through the 1975 season. In 1966 he won his only championship as a head coach, with his Roughriders team winning the 54th Grey Cup
54th Grey Cup
The 54th Grey Cup was hosted at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 26, 1966. The Saskatchewan Roughriders won their first Grey Cup after 53 years of competition for this trophy, losing eight times in the game itself, but defeating on this day with Eagle Keys as head coach the...
. As such, he was voted the All-Time All-Star Coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In total, he spent 16 seasons as a head coach in the Canadian Football League.
CFL Coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | 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:... | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in WIFU | 2 | 2 | Lost in WIFU Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDM 1960 Edmonton Eskimos season The 1960 Edmonton Eskimos finished in 2nd place in the West Division with a 10–6–0 record. They defeated the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Semi-Finals and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Finals, and were defeated in the Grey Cup by the Ottawa Rough Riders.- Season Standings:-1960... |
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:... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in WIFU | 4 | 2 | Lost in Grey Cup 48th Grey Cup The 48th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football League's championship game of the 1960 season on November 26, 1960.The Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 16 to 6 at Vancouver's Empire Stadium before a crowd of 38,102 fans-Box Score:... |
|
| EDM | 1961 1961 CFL season The 1961 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 8th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 4th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1961:... |
10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 2nd in Western Conference | 1 | 1 | Lost in Conference Semi-Finals | |
| EDM | 1962 1962 CFL season The 1962 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 9th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 5th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1962:The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was established in Hamilton.... |
6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 5th in Western Conference | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| EDM | 1963 1963 CFL season The 1963 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 10th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 6th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1963:... |
2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 5th in Western Conference | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| EDM Total | 38 | 40 | 2 | .488 | 0 Western Championships |
7 | 5 | 0 Grey Cups | ||
| SSK | 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:... |
8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3rd in West Conference | 0 | 1 | Lost in Conference Semi-Finals | |
| SSK 1966 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 1966 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 57th in franchise history. Following a first place finish in the regular season, the Roughriders won their first Grey Cup over the Ottawa Rough Riders... |
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:... |
9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 1st in West Conference | 2 | 0 | Won Grey Cup 54th Grey Cup The 54th Grey Cup was hosted at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 26, 1966. The Saskatchewan Roughriders won their first Grey Cup after 53 years of competition for this trophy, losing eight times in the game itself, but defeating on this day with Eagle Keys as head coach the... |
|
| SSK | 1967 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:... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in West Conference | 2 | 1 | Lost in Grey Cup 55th Grey Cup The 55th Grey Cup was played between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders on December 2, 1967, at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, before 31,358 fans and was won by the Tiger-Cats by a score of 24 to 1.- Box Score :First Quarter... |
|
| SSK | 1968 1968 CFL season The 1968 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 15th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 11th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1968:J.G... |
12 | 3 | 1 | .781 | 1st in West Conference | 0 | 1 | Lost in Conference Finals | |
| SSK | 1969 1969 CFL season The 1969 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 16th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it was officially the 12th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1969:... |
13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in West Conference | 1 | 1 | Lost in Grey Cup 57th Grey Cup 57th Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League's championship game, was played November 30, 1969 and the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 29 to 11 before 33,172 fans at Montreal's Autostade.-Box Score:First Quarter... |
|
| SSK | 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:... |
14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in West Conference | 0 | 1 | Lost in Conference Finals | |
| SSK Total | 68 | 25 | 3 | .724 | 4 Western Conference Championships |
5 | 5 | 1 Grey Cup | ||
| BC 1971 BC Lions season The 1971 BC Lions finished in 4th place in the West Division with a 6–9–1 record and failed to make the playoffs.The Lions wore special logos on their helmets to celebrate British Columbia's Canadian Confederation Centennial. The logo was three "C"'s with the Pacific Dogwood in the middle.- CFL... |
1971 1971 CFL season The 1971 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the eighteenth season in modern-day Canadian football, although it was officially the fourteenth Canadian Football League season.-CFL News for 1971:... |
6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 4th in Western Conference | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| BC 1972 BC Lions season The 1972 BC Lions finished in 5th place in the West Division with a 5–11 record and failed to make the playoffs.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Season schedule:-References:... |
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:... |
5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 5th in Western Conference | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| BC 1973 BC Lions season The 1973 BC Lions finished in 3rd place in the West Division with a 5–9–2 record. They appeared in the West Semi-Final.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-References:... |
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:... |
5 | 9 | 2 | .375 | 3rd in Western Conference | 0 | 1 | Lost in Division Semi-Finals | |
| BC 1974 BC Lions season The 1974 BC Lions finished in 3rd place in the West Division with a 8–8 record. They appeared in the West Semi-Final.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-References:... |
1974 1974 CFL season The 1974 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 21st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 17th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1974:... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in Western Conference | 0 | 1 | Lost in Division Semi-Finals | |
| BC 1975 BC Lions season The 1975 BC Lions finished in 5th place in the West Division with a 6–10 record and failed to make the playoffs.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Season schedule:-1975 CFL All-Stars:*C – Al Wilson, CFL All-Star... |
1975 1975 CFL season The 1975 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 22nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 18th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1975:... |
1 | 5 | 0 | .167 | 5th in Western Conference | – | – | (Fired) | |
| BC Total | 25 | 42 | 3 | .379 | 0 Western Conference Championships |
0 | 2 | 0 Grey Cups | ||
| Total | 131 | 107 | 8 | .549 | 4 Western Conference Championships |
12 | 12 | 1 Grey Cup | ||
CFL Hall of Fame
He retired from coaching after the 1975 season and was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 1990. His 131 wins as a coach in the CFL still stands as the fifth highest victory total for a head coach in the league. He was elected as a builder on April 28, 1990.Personal life
Keys is retired and living in Burnaby, British ColumbiaBurnaby, British Columbia
Burnaby is a city in British Columbia, Canada, located immediately to the east of Vancouver. It is the third-largest city in British Columbia by population, surpassed only by nearby Surrey and Vancouver....
. He and his wife Joyce (née White), now deceased, have five children.