Tom Higgins (Canadian football)

Tom Higgins

Higgins with the Calgary Stampeders in 2007
Calgary Colts
Title	Defensive coordinator
Personal information
Born	(1954-07-13) July 13, 1954 (age 71) Woodbridge, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school	Colonia
College	North Carolina State
Position	Linebacker
Career history
Playing
1976–1978	Calgary Stampeders
1979	Buffalo Bills
1980	Saskatchewan Roughriders
Coaching
1982–1984	Calgary Dinos (DC)
1985–1987	Calgary Stampeders (DL coach)
1988	Calgary Stampeders (OL coach)
1989–1990	Calgary Stampeders (OC)
1991–1992	Calgary Stampeders (DL coach)
1993	Calgary Stampeders (Asst. HC)
2001–2004	Edmonton Eskimos (HC)
2005–2007	Calgary Stampeders (HC)
2014–2015	Montreal Alouettes (HC)
2016	Calgary Dinos (DC)
2020–2022	Alberta Golden Bears (DC)
2023–present	Calgary Colts (DC)
Operations
1994–1996	Edmonton Eskimos (Asst. GM)
1997–2001	Edmonton Eskimos (GM/COO)
2001–2004	Edmonton Eskimos (GM)
2008–2013	CFL Director of Officiating
Awards and highlights
2× Grey Cup champion As HC 2003; as AC 1992 2× Annis Stukus Trophy (2003, 2005) Vanier Cup champion (1983) Second-team All-American (1975) First-team All-ACC (1975)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Thomas Joseph John Higgins Jr. (born July 13, 1954) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator for the Calgary Colts of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). He has previously served as the Director of Officiating for the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former Canadian and American football player, head coach, and general manager.

Early life

Higgins, the son of a former Philadelphia Eagles tackle, Tom Higgins Sr., was a high school football standout at Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. ^[1] He played nose guard at North Carolina State University. He was an All-American and was a starter in four consecutive bowl games. He was also an All-American wrestler at NC State.

Professional playing career

After graduating from college in 1976, Higgins attempted to enter the National Football League, but was not selected in the 1976 NFL draft. He instead played in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders for three years. In 1979, Higgins was signed by the Buffalo Bills and played one year in the United States, before returning to Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Higgins began coaching at the University of Calgary, winning the 1983 CIS title in the second of his three years as an assistant coach under Canadian Football Hall of Fame coach Peter Connellan. ^[2] In 1985, Higgins joined the Stampeders coaching staff, serving in many different capacities until becoming a head coach in 2001.

Higgins became head coach of the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos later that year, leading the team to the playoffs in each of his four seasons. In 2002 and 2003, he won division titles, and he won a single Grey Cup as a head coach, with the Eskimos in 2003.

In 2005, he returned to the Calgary Stampeders as head coach. He held this position for three years, making the playoffs in each. He was fired after a first round loss during the 2007 playoffs.

Higgins served as the Director of Officiating from April 2008 to December 2013. ^[3]

Higgins was hired as the new head coach of the Montreal Alouettes on February 24, 2014. He coached a historic 2014 football season starting 1–7, turning the team around to a 9-9 second-place finish, hosting a play off game and defeating the BC Lions. ^[4] On August 21, 2015, Alouettes ownership relieved Higgins of his coaching duties. ^[5]

Higgins was hired in early 2020 as the defensive coordinator of the University of Alberta Golden Bears. ^[6] After the 2020 season was cancelled, he coached for two seasons with the Golden Bears.

On April 1, 2023, it was announced that Higgins had been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Calgary Colts. ^[7]

CFL head coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season					Postseason
		Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Result
EDM	2001	9	9	0	.500	1st in West Division	0	1	Lost in Division Finals
EDM	2002	13	5	0	.722	1st in West Division	1	1	Lost 90th Grey Cup
EDM	2003	13	5	0	.722	1st in West Division	2	0	Won 91st Grey Cup
EDM	2004	9	9	0	.500	2nd in West Division	0	1	Lost in Division Semi-Finals
CGY	2005	11	7	0	.611	2nd in West Division	0	1	Lost in Division Semi-Finals
CGY	2006	10	8	0	.556	2nd in West Division	0	1	Lost in Division Semi-Finals
CGY	2007	7	10	1	.417	3rd in West Division	0	1	Lost in Division Semi-Finals
MTL	2014	9	9	0	.500	2nd in East Division	1	1	Lost in Division Finals
MTL	2015	3	5	0	.375	4th in East Division	0	0	Relieved of duties
Total		84	67	1	.556	3 Division Championships	4	7	1 Grey Cup

Personal

Tom and his wife Sharon have three grown children, Holly, Hillary and Thomas.

References

1. Tom Higgins ^{[ usurped ]}, database Football. Accessed November 14, 2007.
2. "Peter Connellan". cfhof.ca. Canadian Football Hall of Fame. 2012.
3. "Tom Higgins resigning as CFL director of officiating | CBC Sports".
4. "Higgins hired as new head coach of Alouettes". www.tsn.ca. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014.
5. "Alouettes fire Higgins as Head Coach; GM Popp to take over". TSN. August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
6. "Former CFL head coach Tom Higgins hired by the University of Alberta". 3DownNation. February 12, 2020.
7. "Former CFL Coach Joins Colts". Canadian Junior Football League. April 1, 2023.

Preceded by Don Matthews

Grey Cup-winning head coach 91st Grey Cup, 2003

Succeeded by Pinball Clemons