Bud Riley - CFL Coach

CFL Coach

After eight seasons in Corvallis, Riley moved to the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1973, as defensive coordinator of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he made significant improvements to a poorly rated defense. Riley was hired as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1974; head coach Jim Spavital was fired after the Blue Bombers finished last in the Western Conference in 1973. The Bombers didn't make it out of the first round in Riley's three postseason appearances, and he was let go after the 1977 CFL season. His next coaching job was as an assistant with the Toronto Argonauts. He replaced the fired Leo Cahill as head coach with seven games remaining, finishing with a 1-6 record.

He returned to Oregon State in 1979 as an assistant to Craig Fertig, but Fertig was fired by Andros midway through the season. Riley returned to the CFL in 1980, as the defensive backs coach for Saskatchewan. In January 1981, he was hired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the defensive coordinator under head coach Frank Kush, and was promoted to head coach for the 1982 season. He lasted only halfway into his second season before being replaced by director of player personnel Al Bruno.

Riley spent the 1984 season as defensive co-ordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos. He moved to the front office in 1985, serving as the Calgary Stampeders player personnel director for three seasons. He also served as interim coach for the remainder of the 1985 season after the firing of head coach Steve Buratto, (whom Riley had recruited to Idaho as a player).

He was inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.