Stan Schwartz is a Canadian former football executive and coach. He served in various capacities with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL), beginning his tenure with the team in 1976, as an assistant coach. He later served as the team's president from 1996 to 2003. Schwartz was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
| Born: | 1943 or 1944 (age 80–81)[1] near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | President General manager Assistant coach |
| College | Mount Royal College University of Calgary |
| Career history | |
| As administrator | |
| 1995 | Calgary Stampeders (VP and GM of administration) |
| 1996–2003 | Calgary Stampeders (President) |
| 2005–2012 | Calgary Stampeders (General partner) |
| 2012–2016 | Calgary Stampeders (Executive VP and consultant) |
| As coach | |
| 1976–1983 | Calgary Stampeders (AC) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards | Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award (2009) |
| Honours | As an executive: 4× Grey Cup champion (1998, 2001, 2008, 2014) |
| Career stats | |
Life and career
editBorn in southern Alberta, near Medicine Hat, Schwartz played football at Mount Royal College and the University of Calgary.[2][3] In 1969, he became an assistant coach at Ernest Manning High School in Calgary.[1] In 1970, Schwartz began his teaching career, working with the Calgary Board of Education.[2] Afterwards, he moved to the United States, coaching football at and receiving a master's degree from Indiana State University.[2] Schwartz spent time coaching other sports as well, including high school football, wrestling, track and field, junior football, and bantam.[2][3] He was particularly involved in wrestling, coaching a city high school championship team and serving as an assistant coach for the Alberta Junior Olympic Teams.[2] Schwartz also built football practice equipment for Calgary high schools.[3]
In 1976, Schwartz became an assistant coach with Calgary Stampeders, a position he served in for eight years.[4] After leaving the position, he became the manager of McMahon Stadium, the Stampeders' home stadium. During his time in the position, the stadium served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics.[2] In 1995, he returned to the Stampeders, becoming the organization's vice president and general manager of administration.[2][5] The following year, he became the Stampeders' team president.[2] In September 2003, he was replaced by Mark McLoughlin and formally announced his resignation from the position in October.[5] During his tenure as the team's president, the Stampeders won two Grey Cup championships (in 1998 and 2001), with Calgary also serving as the host of the 88th Grey Cup in 2000.[4] He then served as a general partner for the team from 2005 to 2012, and later as an executive vice president and consultant in various roles until 2016.[1]
Awards and recognition
editIn 2005, Schwartz was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.[6] Schwartz was honoured with the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award in 2009.[7] He was later inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder in 2017.[8][9]
Schwartz's contributions to high school football in the Calgary area have led to trophies being named after him. The Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHAA) has awarded the "Stan Schwartz Award" annually to the "top Calgary high school volunteer football coach" since 2000.[2] Later, in 2009, the Stampeders introduced the "Stan Schwartz – Heart of a Champion Award" to student-athletes competing in CSHAA competitions.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c O'Leary, Chris (12 September 2017). "HOF Profile: Stan Schwartz a true team player". CFL.ca. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Stan Schwartz". stampeders.com. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "Stan Schwartz - 2004 Sportsperson of the Year". Calgary Booster Club. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b Austin, Daniel (14 September 2017). "Schwartz, Anderson inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Schwartz resigns from Stampeders". CBC.ca. 21 October 2003. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Hat native Stan Schwartz called to Canadian Football Hall of Fame". Medicine Hat News. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Stampeders legend 'Geo' Hopkins saluted with CFL's leadership honour". Calgary Sun. 17 November 2023 [16 November 2023]. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Stan Schwartz, Class of 2017". Canadian Football Hall of Fame. 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Ralph, Dan (14 September 2017). "Hall of Fame receiver Geroy Simon never expected to stay in CFL". The Canadian Press. Retrieved 11 August 2024 – via The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Heart of a Champion". stampeders.com. Retrieved 11 August 2024.