John Hufnagel

John Coleman Hufnagel (born September 13, 1951) is the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was previously the Stampeders' head coach and played quarterback for fifteen professional seasons in the CFL and National Football League. Prior to his hiring to the Stampeders on December 3, 2007, he was the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants of the NFL.

John Hufnagel
No. 16, 18
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1951-09-13) September 13, 1951
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:194 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:McKees Rocks (PA) Montour
College:Penn State
NFL Draft:1973 / Round: 14 / Pick: 348
Career history
As player:
As coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Passing Yards:357
Touchdowns:1
Interceptions:9
Games:9
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Playing career

Hufnagel was an All-American at Penn State University in 1972, where he was the starting quarterback for three seasons (1970–1972) with a 26–3 record under head coach Joe Paterno. As a junior, he was instrumental in the Nittany Lions' 30–6 Cotton Bowl victory in Dallas over the University of Texas.[1][2] He led a backfield which included Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell and Penn State finished 11–1, fifth in the final AP poll.[3]

In 1972, Hufnagel became the first Nittany Lion quarterback to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season. His 2,039 passing yards set Penn State's single-season record for passing yards (since broken) and he remains among the top 10 in most major career passing categories. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year, won by Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska,[4] (and won the following year by Penn State running back John Cappelletti). Hufnagel's final game as a collegian was the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, a 14–0 shutout loss to the University of Oklahoma on New Year's Eve.[5] Without Cappelletti due to the flu, the Penn State running game was weak and the Sooner defense dominated the game.[6]

A 14th-round selection (348th overall) of the Denver Broncos in the 1973 NFL Draft, Hufnagel spent three seasons with the Broncos, then twelve more in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders (1976–1979), Saskatchewan Roughriders (1980–1983, 1987), and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1984–1986).

Coaching career

Canadian Football League

Hufnagel began his coaching career as a player-coach for the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1987. From 1990–1996 Hufnagel was the offensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders, where he helped future Pro Bowlers Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia earn All-CFL honors.

Arena Football League

In 1997, Hufnagel became head coach and general manager of the Arena Football League’s New Jersey Red Dogs. In two seasons there, he posted a 17–11 record.

National Football League

After two seasons (1999, 2000) as the quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns, Hufnagel was named the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts, where he coached Peyton Manning to a 62.7 percent completion percentage and for 4,131 yards passing. He spent the 2002 season as the quarterbacks coach on Tom Coughlin’s staff in Jacksonville. That year, quarterback Mark Brunell threw only seven interceptions in 416 pass attempts, and an 85.7 quarterback rating. He spent the 2003 season with the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Under Hufnagel's tutelage, Tom Brady earned a second Super Bowl MVP award, completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 3,620 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Hufnagel became the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants in 2004, and molded them into one of the NFL's most potent offenses. Tiki Barber set a franchise rushing record two years in a row, and the Giants became only the fifth team in NFL history to have five different players score at least seven touchdowns. (Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Brandon Jacobs). While Hufnagel is credited with the rapid development of quarterback Eli Manning, he is sometimes criticized for his often predictable play-calling and an inability to utilize his offensive play-makers effectively.

During the 2006 season, Hufnagel came under much criticism for being too pass-happy and abandoning the running game after the Giants trailed during games. In addition, he was also questioned for having Manning throw the ball the third and sixth most passes in the league over 2005 and 2006 despite Tiki Barber clearly being the best player on offense. In addition, his situational play-calling came under scrutiny, such as when running back Brandon Jacobs was removed from the game inside the five yard-line in two games, thus making the offense more predictable to opposing defenses.

Following a 30–7 defeat by the New Orleans Saints, Hufnagel was stripped of his duties as offensive coordinator. A week later, it was revealed he was fired.

Return to the CFL

On December 3, 2007, Hufnagel was hired as the head coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders. In his first season, he led the Stampeders to the Grey Cup title with a 22–14 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on November 23. For his performance in the 2008 CFL season, he was awarded the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL's coach of the year.[7] Hufnagel got the Stamps back to the Grey Cup game to conclude the 2012 CFL season. The Stampeders lost the 100th Grey Cup game to the Toronto Argonauts 35-22. In the 2013 CFL season, Hufnagel and the Stampeders finished the season in 1st place with a 14-4 record. They lost the Western Final to Saskatchewan.

The following season, Hufnagel led the Stampeders to a 15-3 record, finishing first in the Western division and in the league. In the playoffs, the Calgary Stampeders faced the Edmonton Eskimos (who previously eliminated Saskatchewan) and defeated them 43-18, leading them to Calgary's second Grey Cup in three years. They would face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 102nd Grey Cup and win the game 20-16 for Calgary's seventh Grey Cup championship.

Following the Stampeder's championship season of 2014, Hufnagel was awarded the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL coach of the year for the second time in his career. Later, Hufnagel announced he would step down as head coach after the following season to concentrate on his general manager duties, and named offensive coordinator and former Stamps quarterback Dave Dickenson as his successor. He is the second-winningest coach in Stampeders history, trailing only Wally Buono. He is also the ninth-winningest coach in CFL history, and has the most wins of any coach who spent his entire career with just one team.

CFL coaching record
TeamYearRegular seasonPost season
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostResult
CGY2008 1350.7221st in West Division20Won Grey Cup
CGY2009 1071.5832nd in West Division11Lost West Final
CGY2010 1350.7221st in West Division01Lost West Final
CGY2011 1170.6113rd in West Division01Lost West Semi-Final
CGY2012 1260.6662nd in West Division21Lost Grey Cup
CGY2013 1440.7771st in West Division01Lost West Final
CGY2014 1530.8331st in West Division20Won Grey Cup
CGY2015 1440.7772nd in West Division11Lost West Final
Total 102411.7124 West Division
Championships		862 Grey Cups

Personal life

Hufnagel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Penn State University in 1973. John and his wife Sherry live in Cochrane, AB. He has two daughters, Neely and Lindsey, and a son, Cole. He graduated from Montour High School in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a suburb southwest of Pittsburgh. Currently Lives In Cochrane, Alberta

See also

References
  1. "Texas Wishbone catches in throat". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. January 2, 1972. p. 61.
  2. "Penn State scuttles Texas for 30-6 Cotton Bowl win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 2, 1972. p. 1, sports.
  3. "Huskers solid No. 1". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. January 4, 1972. p. 20.
  4. "Nebraska's Rodgers Heisman winner". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 5, 1972. p. 17.
  5. Estill, Jerry (January 2, 1973). "Fumbles cut down Oklahoma's points". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. p. 30.
  6. Heufelder, Bill (January 2, 1973). "Oklahoma 'Tinkers' with Lions in Sugar Bowl". Pittsburgh Press. p. 28.
  7. "Hufnagel named CFL's top coach". CBC Sports. March 3, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
Preceded by
Kent Austin		 Grey Cup winning Head Coach
96th Grey Cup, 2008		 Succeeded by
Marc Trestman
Preceded by
Kent Austin		 CFL Coach of the Year
2008		 Succeeded by
Marc Trestman
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