Don Matthews Cause of Death: How Did the CFL Coach Die?

Don Matthews’ 231 CFL wins ranks second all-time (Facebook)

CFL Hall of Fame coach Don Matthews passed away today at the age of 77. According to Matthews’ daughter-in-law Joni, Matthews passed away due to complications from pneumonia.

https://twitter.com/SportsCentre/status/875056048322883588/photo/1

Matthews won 231 games in the CFL, second highest in league history, and he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Matthews, known as “The Don”, spent 22 seasons as a CFL head coach with B.C., Baltimore, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal. He reached the Grey Cup nine times and won a record five championships as a head coach, according to CCB.

The CFL issued the following statement after Matthews’ passing:

Upon hearing of the passing of Don Matthews, the Canadian Football League family is both deeply saddened by this loss and grateful for his many contributions to our league. The Don, as he was known, was one of a kind. He was a leader for so many of our greatest players and teams. He was a mentor to many of our current coaches. He was a charismatic star that loved to spar with the media at the same time he commanded the spotlight. The record book is filled with his accomplishments. He won five Grey Cups as a head coach, with Toronto (2), Montreal, Baltimore and British Columbia. That ties him for the most ever, with three other legends (Wally Buono, Frank Clair and Hugh Campbell). He was a head coach in nine Grey Cups in total, tying him for the most ever. He won five more Grey Cup rings as a defensive coordinator, all with Edmonton. He won 231 regular season games as a head coach, which made him the winningest coach in CFL history until his total was eclipsed just a few years ago. His defences and his teams inevitably took on his persona: they were bold, brash, confident. And like him, they were winners. A Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Don Matthews had style and swagger and a passion for life as well as football, and the CFL was more colourful, more compelling and simply better because he was part of it. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, all those who knew him and loved him, and the countless fans who will long remember him.

Matthews retired from the CFL after the 2008 season with a record of 231-132-1. He was named CFL Coach of the Year five times. In addition to winning five championships as head coach, Matthews also won five championships with the Edmonton Eskimos where he was defensive coordinator.

Matthews was known as a “players coach,” but he was also brutally honest and could be ruthless when it came to a making tough personnel decisions and he wasn’t afraid to bench a veteran or cut him outright if he wasn’t producing, according to CBC.

Despite walking away from head coaching, Matthews continued to work as a consultant, spending time with the Als, Lions and the not-yet-named Ottawa REDBLACKS franchise, according to CFL.ca.

Prior to joining the CFL, Matthews coached Sunset High School in Beaverton to consecutive state championships in 1975 and 1976.