Pro Football Coaching Career
In 1953 Filchock moved to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he was both quarterback and head coach. This was his last season as a player, but he continued to coach at Regina through 1957, compiling a regular-season record of 41-35-4 with the team but never making it to the Grey Cup.
In 1958 he became head coach of the Sarnia Golden Bears of the ORFU. The team had an outstanding crop of imports, including quarterback and kicker Gino Cappelletti. It suffered only one defeat in ten games, and that by only a single point. Two playoff victories gave Filchock his second league championship as a coach. However, the ORFU was no longer considered a major league and had lost its berth in the Eastern playoffs some years earlier.
In 1959 Filchock served as backfield coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was named the first head coach of the Denver Broncos of the new American Football League on January 1, 1960. In December, 1961, he was fired after two disappointing seasons. His final record with the Broncos was 7-20-1.
In 1964 he was defensive coach with the Quebec Rifles of the United Football League. That was his final year in football. All told, he had played or coached professional football in twelve cities, six leagues (he just missed the AAFC by playing with Baltimore the year of the merger) and two countries. He had also starred in high school, collegiate and service football, and had played minor-league baseball with three teams. His overall major-league record as head coach was 67-65-7.
Read more about this topic: Frank Filchock
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