Date of birth | November 22, 1938 |
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Career history | |
As administrator | |
1969–1971 | Iowa Central C.C. (Athletic director) |
1995–2003 | Iowa Barnstormers (General manager) |
As coach | |
1969–1971 | Iowa Central C.C. (Asst.) |
1972–1981 | South Dakota State |
1982 | Northern Iowa (OC) |
1983–1986 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (OL) |
1987–1991 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
1991–1994 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
1995–2003 | Iowa Barnstormers/New York Dragons |
2004 | Carolina Cobras |
2005–2007 | Arkansas Twisters |
2008–2011 | Iowa Barnstormers |
2012 | Tampa Bay Storm (OC) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Awards | 1995 AFL Coach of the Year 1996 AFL Coach of the Year |
John Gregory (born November 22, 1938) is a former American football head coach. Gregory's last head coaching stint came with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League.
Gregory's first coaching job was at Iowa Central Community College, 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.
After the 1986 season 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.