Don Loney
| Date of birth | November 16, 1923 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Date of death | June 19, 2004 (aged 80) |
| Place of death | Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Centre |
| College | North Carolina State University |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1957–1973 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men (HC) |
| As player | |
| 1943 | St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy |
| 1943 | Ottawa Combines |
| 1945 | Montreal Hornets |
| 1946 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 1947–1952 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1954 | Calgary Stampeders |
| CFL East All-Star | 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, |
| Awards | 1950 Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy |
| Career stats | |
Don Loney (November 16, 1923 – June 19, 2004) was a professional Canadian football centre and football coach. He was called the "Father of Maritime Football" by the Globe and Mail for his work as a coach at St. Francis Xavier University and his contributions to developing the Vanier Cup as a national championship.
Loney was an exceptional football player in Canada after graduating from North Carolina State University. During the Second World War before he was sent overseas to serve in England, he suited up for the Ottawa Combines and the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy teams in 1943. He served in the RCN from 1943 to 1957 as a Lieutenant Commander.
Post-war, he resumed his career and played nine seasons as a centre in Canadian football with the Montreal Hornets (1945), Toronto Argonauts (1946), Ottawa Rough Riders (1947–1952) and Calgary Stampeders (1954), meriting four East all-star selections and the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy as East MVP in 1950, a rare feat for a player at his position. He won a pair of Grey Cups, with the Argonauts in 1946 and the Rough Riders in 1951.
Don served in Shearwater as the Base Physical Training and Recreation Officer for two years, and it was during this period that he coached the senior Shearwater Flyers football teams to Nova Scotia and Maritime championships in 1955 and 1956.
Loney headed the St. Francis Xavier X-Men football program from 1957 to 1973. In 17 seasons at the helm, he compiled an impressive record of 133 wins, 31 losses and two ties, for a remarkable winning percentage of .807. The team went on an undefeated streak over an eight-year span. Time Magazine dubbed St. FX as "The Assassins of Antigonish".
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