With Wally Buono’s recent decision to step away from the sidelines and concentrate on his duties as general manager and vice-president of football operations of the BC Lions, Calgary’s John Hufnagel is now the dean of the Canadian Football League head coaches.

Having just passed the four-year anniversary of his hiring by the Stamps — he went on the job Dec. 3, 2007 — Hufnagel noses out Montreal’s Marc Trestmas as the CFL’s longest-serving skipper by a mere 15 days.

When the Lions, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders fill their current head-coaching vacancies, they will be come the 15th, 16th and 17th hirings by CFL clubs since Hufnagel took over the Red and White.

Back in December of 2007, the incumbent coaches for the CFL’s other teams were Buono in BC, Danny Maciocia in Edmonton, Kent Austin in Saskatchewan, Doug Berry in Winnipeg, Pinball Clemons in Toronto, Charlie Taaffe in Hamilton and Jim Popp in Montreal.

Toronto has made the most coaching changes since that time with five followed by Saskatchewan with four and Hamilton, Winnipeg and Edmonton with two apiece.

It’s not hard to figure out the reasons for Coach Huff’s longevity.

• The Stamps are 47-24-1 in the regular season under Hufnagel. Montreal (48-24) is the only team with a better mark while BC (38-34) is a distant third
• Calgary has made the playoffs every year from 2008-2011. BC and Montreal are the only other clubs who can make that claim
• The Stamps have four straight winning seasons under Coach Huff. Montreal is currently the only other club to turn that trick
• Calgary has been the to the division final three times since 2008, matching BC and Montreal for the most appearances in the penultimate playoff round over the past four seasons
• And last but not least, Calgary, BC and Montreal (twice) are the teams who have hoisted the Grey Cup since 2008

CFL head coaches since John Hufnagel’s hiring by Calgary

Saskatchewan: Kent Austin, Ken Miller, Greg Marshall, Ken Miller, TBA
Hamilton: Charlie Taaffe, Marcel Bellefeuille, TBA
Winnipeg: Doug Berry, Mike Kelly, Paul LaPolice
Edmonton: Danny Maciocia, Richie Hall, Kavis Reed
Toronto: Michael Clemons, Rich Stubler, Don Matthews, Bart Andrus, Jim Barker, Scott Milanovich
BC: Wally Buono, TBA
Montreal: Jim Popp, Marc Trestman