Hugh Campbell

Summary

Hugh Campbell (born May 21, 1941) is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League (CFL), the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL). Campbell retired as the CEO of the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2006. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Hugh Campbell
No. 31
Born: (1941-05-21) May 21, 1941 (age 82)
Saratoga, California, U.S.
Career information
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)WR
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
CollegeWashington State
NFL draft1963 / Round: 4 / Pick: 50
Drafted bySan Francisco 49ers
Career history
As administrator
19861997Edmonton Eskimos (GM)
19982006Edmonton Eskimos (President/CEO)
As coach
19771982Edmonton Eskimos
1983Los Angeles Express
1984–1985Houston Oilers
As player
19631967Saskatchewan Roughriders
1969Saskatchewan Roughriders
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star1965, 1966
CFL West All-Star1964, 1965, 1966, 1969
Awards1979 Annis Stukus Trophy
Career stats
  • Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 2000

College career edit

Campbell played wide receiver at Washington State University from 1959 to 1962. During that time he appeared in the Hula Bowl, the College All-Star game, the Coaches All-America game, and the East-West Shrine Bowl. Campbell received most outstanding player honours in the Coaches and the Shrine Bowl games. He was also awarded the 1961 W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. During his Cougar career he was teamed with fellow CFL Hall of Famer George Reed.

Professional playing career edit

Campbell joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1963 and "Gluey Hughy", as he became known, was a key element of their Grey Cup winning team in 1966. Campbell quit the Roughriders in 1968 to take a position as assistant coach at Washington State but returned for a final year with the Roughriders in 1969. In his six CFL seasons, Campbell caught 321 passes for an average gain of 16.9 yards per reception and scored 60 touchdowns, including 17 touchdown receptions in 1966. Campbell received western conference all-star honours as a flanker in 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1969. He was a CFL all-star in 1965 and 1966.

Coaching and administrative career edit

Campbell retired as an active player after the 1969 season to take up a head coaching job with Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. During his seven-year tenure, Campbell revived the moribund Pirates football program and was named conference coach of the year three times.[1]

In 1977, Campbell was named head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos, where he took the Eskimos to the Grey Cup game in Montreal that first year but lost 41-6 in a major blowout on an icy field against the Montreal Alouettes. It was the last Grey Cup championship game coach Campbell would lose as the Eskimos won the next five Grey Cup games, from 1978 through 1982, an all-time CFL consecutive games win record.

Following the 1982 season, Campbell left the CFL to become head coach of the USFL's Los Angeles Express.

After one season, the Houston Oilers, who were bidding for the services of Warren Moon, hired him to become their head coach and help improve their chances of signing the coveted free agent (the Oilers ultimately signed Moon). He served as head coach of the Oilers for the 1984 and 1985 seasons, being fired by the Oilers with two games left to go in the 1985 season.

In 1986, he returned to the Eskimos as the team's general manager.

After 20 years as the head of the Eskimos organization, Campbell announced his retirement effective at the end of 2006.

Personal life edit

Campbell and his wife Louise have four children, daughters Molly, Jill and Robin and son, Rick, who is the current head coach of the BC Lions.

Head coaching record edit

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Whitworth Pirates (Evergreen Conference) (1970–1976)
1970 Whitworth 2–7 2–3 T–5th
Whitworth Pirates (Northwest Conference) (1971–1976)
1971 Whitworth 2–7 NA NA
1972 Whitworth 7–2 NA NA
1973 Whitworth 4–5 4–2 3rd
1974 Whitworth 6–3 4–3 T–2nd
1975 Whitworth 7–3 6–1 T–1st
1976 Whitworth 6–3 4–3 5th
Whitworth: 34–30 20–12
Total: 34–30
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

CFL, USFL, and NFL edit

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Result
EDM 1977 10 6 0 .625 1st in West Division 1 1 Lost to Montreal Alouettes in 65th Grey Cup
EDM 1978 10 4 2 .688 1st in West Division 2 0 66th Grey Cup champions
EDM 1979 12 2 2 .813 1st in West Division 2 0 67th Grey Cup champions
EDM 1980 13 3 0 .813 1st in West Division 2 0 68th Grey Cup champions
EDM 1981 14 1 1 .906 1st in West Division 2 0 69th Grey Cup champions
EDM 1982 11 5 0 .688 1st in West Division 2 0 70th Grey Cup champions
EDM Total 70 21 5 .755 6 West Division
Championships
11 1 5 Grey Cups
LA 1983 8 10 0 .444 2nd in Pacific Division - - did not qualify
LA Total 8 10 0 .444 0 Division
Championships
0 0 0 USFL Champs
HOU 1984 3 13 0 .188 4th in AFC Central did not qualify
HOU 1985 5 9 0 .357 4th in AFC Central N/A (fired)
HOU Total 8 22 0 .267 0 Division
Championships
0 0 0 Super Bowls
Total 86 53 5 .615 6 Division
Championships
11 1 5 Grey Cups

References edit

  1. ^ Missildine, Harry (February 4, 1977). "Campbell's going back". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 27.