John Hufnagel
John Hufnagel – Senior Advisor to the General Manager & Head Coach
The Argonauts stunned the CFL world when they added John Hufnagel to the front office on December 4, 2025.
Hufnagel joined the Argos after a quarter century with the Calgary Stampeders, where at various times he served as the Stamps president, general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, special advisor, and football operations consultant.
In all, Hufnagel has spent over half a century in professional football as a player, coach, and executive.
A native of the borough of Coraopolis in suburban Pittsburgh, he headed east to play his college football at Penn State, where in his senior year the quarterback finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.
His pro playing career started with the Denver Broncos in 1973 before heading north to the CFL, where he made stops in Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, playing for a dozen years on this side of the border.
He entered the coaching world as a player/coach in 1987 with Saskatchewan.
In 1990 he would join the Stampeders staff for the first time. After seven seasons he’d take his initial head coaching job, with the AFL’s New Jersey Red Dogs. After that it was off to the NFL, where, as a quarterbacks coach, he would work with Payton Manning and Tom Brady – with whom he’d win a Super Bowl – then with Eli Manning as the offensive coordinator with the Giants.
He’d return to the Stampeders in 2008 as their head coach and GM. Before he was through in Calgary, he’d win five Grey Cup rings and two CFL Coach of the Year awards. His coaching record with the Stamps was 102-41-1 (.712).
Hufnagel was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020.
CAREER
2026: Toronto Argonauts, Senior Advisor to the General Manager and Head Coach
2024-25: Calgary Stampeders, Special Advisor
2023: Calgary Stampeders, President, Football Operations Consultant
2016-22: Calgary Stampeders, President, General Manager,
2008-2015: Calgary Stampeders, Head Coach, General Manager
2004-2006: New York Giants, Offensive Coordinator
2003: New England Patriots, Quarterbacks Coach
2002: Jacksonville Jaguars, Quarterbacks Coach
2001: Indianapolis Colts, Quarterbacks Coach
1999-2000: Cleveland Browns, Quarterbacks Coach
1997-98: New Jersey Red Dogs (Arena Football League), Head Coach
1994-96: Calgary Stampeders, Offensive Coordinator, Assistant Head Coach
1990-94: Calgary Stampeders, Offensive Coordinator
1988-89: University of Calgary, Volunteer Coach
1987: Saskatchewan Roughriders, Player, Quarterbacks and Receivers Coach