Wally Buono’s journey to become the all-time winningest coach in the history of the Canadian Football League concluded Saturday night in Vancouver, but it started 19 years ago in Calgary.

When Buono was handed the coaching reins in 1990, the Stampeders hadn’t been to the Grey Cup or finished first in the West Division since 1971. Under Buono’s leadership, the Red and White finished first seven times, went to the big game on six occasions and won three championships.

Naturally, the wins piled up along the way — his 153 victories on the Calgary sidelines are an amazing 107 more than the next most successful Stamps boss of all time, Jerry Williams who had 46. Those 153 victories represent approximately two-thirds of the career total of 232 that allowed Buono to move past Don Matthews and into first place on the all-time list.

Even though Buono and the Stamps parted ways in 2002, the former skipper’s fingerprints were all over Calgary’s 2008 title.

Current Stamps head coach/general manager John Hufnagel worked under Buono in Calgary from 1990-96, during which time the Stampeders amassed 93 victories. Offensive co-ordinator George Cortez was with Buono for a total of eight seasons in two separate stints with the Stamps (1992-94 and 1997-2001) and was involved in 97 of Buono’s coaching wins.

“I was privileged to be able to work with Wally for seven years,” said Hufnagel, “and it’s no secret that what we try to do as an organization with the Calgary Stampeders is modeled after Wally’s blueprint.”

Hall-of-Fame quarterback Doug Flutie, who played four seasons for Buono in Calgary, says his former coach’s success is no accident.

“The best thing about Wally,” said Flutie, “is that you had confidence that he knew what he was doing and he was going to put you in a position to be successful. And that’s all you can ask of a head coach is to earn that trust of the players. Wally was great at it. You knew he was on top of things. He was meticulous. He was the guy in charge.”

Here is Buono’s year-by-year record at the helm of the Stampeders:

* Won Grey Cup