Matthews remembered as one of CFL’s greatest coaches
The Don is gone, but will never be forgotten by Jim Popp.
Don Matthews, one of the most prolific coaches in CFL history, died three years ago Sunday — June 14, 2017 — at the age of 77. The native of Amesbury, Mass., spent 22 seasons as a CFL head coach, winning 231 games and five Grey Cups. Matthews also helped Edmonton win five straight CFL titles (1978-82) as defensive coordinator before taking his first head-coaching job with B.C. in 1983. But it was with Saskatchewan in 1992 that Popp and Matthews first hooked up with Popp serving as a receivers coach on Matthews’ staff while also working in personnel.
“I have a very special bond with Don,” Popp said. “He didn’t let a lot of people in his world and we had a very respectful and great relationship.
“Sometimes head coach/GM, sometimes brother-brother, sometimes father/son. Whatever it was, we had it.”
Matthews and Popp would also work together on two more occasions. They were head coach/player-personnel director with the expansion Baltimore Stallions (1994-95) and Popp was Montreal’s GM when Matthews served as head coach (2002-06).
Twenty-five years ago, Matthews and Popp led Baltimore to a CFL championship, with the Stallions becoming the first — and only — U.S. club to win a league title. They also combined for a title in Montreal in 2002.
Matthews was affectionately dubbed The Don, and for good reason. He was a larger-thanlife character with a sharp wit who not only thrived in the spotlight but enjoyed keeping people around him on edge with his abrasive, no-nonsense style.
“If you weren’t in (Matthews’) doghouse, things were fine,” said Hall of Fame running back Mike Pringle, who played for Matthews in Baltimore and Montreal. “If you got into his doghouse, that wasn’t a good place to be.
“He gave us a lot of freedom to be who we wanted to be on and off the field as long as we showed up and performed on gameday. If we didn’t, that’s when you’d see his personality come out as an authoritarian.”
But players traditionally loved suiting up for Matthews because he created a winning atmosphere and protected them. Once the season began, Matthews’ teams rarely hit in practice and he routinely allowed players to participate in creating the weekly gameplan.
But Matthews, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011, could also be ruthless. He never shied away from benching or releasing a veteran if he wasn’t producing.
“I always questioned when he’d cause himself stress,” Popp said. “He did it because, as he said, ’It’s part of my fun.’”
New England’s Bill Belichick — a six-time Super Bowl champion — is regarded as the dean of NFL head coaches. But Popp only chuckles when Belichick makes headlines for his brash, sometimes abrasive nature.
“It’s not like stuff hasn’t been tried or done in our league and Don was the one who did it,” Popp said.
“Don and Belichick are both tremendously smart people but I kind of laugh when that happens because seen that, done that, heard that before.”