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Former B.C. Lions coach Eagle Keys has passed away at the age of 89. R.I.P. Coach.

RIP Eagle.

I recall some hellacious ground attacks with Monroe Eley, Lou Harris, Johnny Musso, Jim Evenson. But overall a bit disappointing in the win/loss results.

Funny the things you remember: Rick Cassata of Ottawa tore us up. Eagle said: "We stumbled, bumbled and fell."

Good guy. Always good for a quote.

Turkey Neck Bend, his hometown, as always reported by Jim Taylor.

"Eagle was my personal favourite. All professional players have a coach that shaped their career and their future and Eagle was mine," Hugh Campbell, who was a receiver for the Riders under Keys, said in a release. "Eagle took a bunch of ragtag players in Saskatchewan and made us a pretty darn good football team, taking us to the Grey Cup three times in four years."

Ii think it was the late Al Davidson who used call the coach "Beagle Knees".

Sorry to hear of his passing. Had most of his success with Ron Lancaster and George Reed. Didn't replicate the success with the Lions.

1972

RIP. Always liked his name, a name you remember anytime that it is mentioned. Definitely a leader and probably ahead of himself with the media for his era. Always tough to hear of an ex-CFL member passing away, condolences to his family and friends.

Ballistic Bob wrote:1972

Only four members on the coaching staff in those days? The game has evolved greatly in the last 40 years. I suppose there was probably even a time before that when it was just the head coach by himself, although I suppose not many alive today would remember it vividly.

Was Eage Keys the one that released Ron Estay, Tom Wilkinson, Larry Highbaugh and Don Warrington ?

TheLionKing wrote:Was Eage Keys the one that released Ron Estay, Tom Wilkinson, Larry Highbaugh and Don Warrington ?

He released Larry Highbaugh and kept Rocky Long instead. Long was soon gone, but has been a successful US college coach.

TheLionKing wrote:Was Eage Keys the one that released Ron Estay, Tom Wilkinson, Larry Highbaugh and Don Warrington ?

Hmmm. I can't recall but the timing would be about right for all of those guys and as we know they went to a lot of GCs with the Eskimos during an era when this thing that that Kavis Reed calls the "Eskimo Way" might have meant something. Actually I think Hugh Campbell was a brilliant coach who did a lot of good for players including helping transition guys like SFU's Donnie Warrington out of football (and I mean that positive). Sadly he died in that tragic crash.

Lancaster story on Keys was something like this:

After a long TD pass Keys says to Lancaster 'why did you do that?'

Ron L: Because he was wide open!

Keys: I was trading him tomorrow.

As some of you may know, I have an extensive collection of Lions memorabilia. This is a rather cool piece that belonged to Eagle. It was after his first season as HC in 1971, the club compiled all of the game day programs that season and had them bound in book form, with his name embossed in the lower right.

Met his daughter about 10 years ago as Eagle settled in Langley.




DH