B.C. Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono gave an insight into his life, his spirituality and what has made him successful to a packed audience at the Sechelt Indian Band hall last Saturday night (March 20).
An evening of faith, family and football brought out 200 folks to a dinner put on by the Men of Bethel (MOB) from Bethel Baptist Church, featuring Buono, who is entering his eighth season with the Lions.
Master of ceremonies Andrew Barker welcomed everyone to the event and thanked the Sechelt Nation for allowing them on their traditional territory. He said the evening would be a feast for not only the body, but for the heart and soul as well.
After a trivia session and door prizes, a traditional Coast Salish feast was served, followed by an entertaining question and answer session between Buono and MOB member Richard Wilson.
Wilson covered a lot of ground, asking about Buono's life growing up in Montreal, playing football in a U.S. college, meeting his wife Sande, starting a family and his coaching career.
Born in Potenza, Italy, in 1950, Buono moved to Canada in 1953, later playing minor football in Montreal. He attended Idaho State University and was a linebacker for the Bengals. He returned to Canada, playing 10 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as a linebacker and punter, appearing in 152 games. Shortly after his retirement, he tried his hand at coaching, landing an assistant position with the Montreal organization in 1983. Four years later, Buono found himself in Calgary where he worked under Larry Kuharich until '90 when Stamps' president Norman Kwong hired him as head coach of the Stamps.
Between being a player and coach, Buono has been involved with the Canadian Football League for 37 years.
Buono and his wife Sande, who was also on hand Saturday night, have four children, Amy, Dana, Christie and Michael, and one grandchild, Jonah. Along the way, Christianity and Buono's relationship with God have helped shape Buono and his family's lives for the better, something that Buono related numerous times during the evening.
"Part of this is getting people to try to comprehend that you can be in a profession like football and still be able to have some faith and have a very good involvement with your family," said Buono.
"It's a sharing of the beliefs that I live by. My beliefs have played a big part in who I am, and I think part of who you are is what you believe in and what you are willing to stand up for - that's something that I've always had a strong opinion about. You are more than just a coach; you're more than just a father. At the end of the day, you have to be a person who has values."
