One of the Roughriders Greatest Coaches - Eagle Keys

[Mowich]

REGINA — Eagle Keys, a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame who coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders to their first-ever Grey Cup championship, died Thursday in Burnaby, B.C. He was 89.

Keys was an assistant coach with the Roughriders in 1964 before being promoted to head coach the following year. During his six years as the Roughriders’ field boss, the CFL team compiled a 68-25-3 regular-season record and earned berths in the 1966, 1967 and 1969 Grey Cup games.

Most notably, he guided Saskatchewan to the title in 1966. The Green and White capped the season by defeating the Ottawa Rough Riders 29-14 at Empire Stadium in Vancouver.

“Eagle Keys is a legend in the CFL and will always hold a special place in the hearts of Rider fans,” Roughriders president-CEO Jim Hopson said in a prepared statement. “While he will always be thought of as one of the greatest coaches in CFL history, more importantly he was a tremendous person.

Read more: Former Roughriders coach Eagle Keys dead at 89

RIP, Eagle and thank you for all the wonderful memories.
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[damngrumpy]

Truly a sad day and a life to be celebrated. Keys was part of a great institution.
Rider Nation does however remember the contribution he made to the team and
the CFL RIP

 

[coldstream]

.. one of a host of players and coaches that have gravitated from football crazy America to the great open spaces of the Canadian game.. and fell headlong for it, stayed on, became citizens.

Eagle was a fighting Marine.. in the Corps in WW2 and on the gridiron.. RIP.

 

[Toro]

Thanks Eagle!

RIP!

 

[gopher]

I was wondering why the face but not the name looked familiar and that's because I remembered him as "Buddy" Keys from Kentucky. He helped put the CFL in the limelight where it rightfully belonged back in the day. Never knew his real name was Eagle. Great coach, indeed.