The Toronto Argonauts are hiring longtime Calgary Stampeders coach and general manager John Hufnagel as a senior consultant, sources have confirmed. 3DownNation. TSN was the first to report this news.
The 74-year-old has been with the Stampeders since 2008, when he was introduced as their head coach and general manager after a nine-year stint in the NFL. Hufnagel held both positions for eight seasons, compiling a 102-41-1 regular season record, two Gray Cup victories and two Coach of the Year awards. Following the 2015 season, he stepped down from his head coaching duties and assumed the role of president.
Hufnagel remained the team's general manager and president until 2022, when he relinquished the former title to head coach Dave Dickenson. The Stampeders went 175-70-3, and Hufnagel held the general manager title while winning three Gray Cups. He remained team president through the 2023 season, after which he became a special advisor.
The Coraopolis, Pennsylvania native played 12 seasons as a quarterback in the CFL from 1976 to 1987 with the Stampeders, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He then coached in the league for eight years, including a seven-year stint with Calgary before heading to the New Jersey River Dogs of the Arena Football League.
Hufnagel got his first NFL coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1999, working as their defensive backs coach. He later held the same position with the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots before serving as the New York Giants' offensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006. He won Super Bowl XXXVIII with the Patriots.
John Murphy, Toronto's current assistant general manager, worked under Hufnagel in Calgary for many years, serving as the team's director of scouting, director of player personnel and assistant general manager.
In 2025, the Toronto Argonauts finished third in the East Division standings with a 5–13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Franchise quarterback Chad Kelly was unable to play the entire season due to a broken leg he suffered in the Eastern final last year, giving way to Nick Arbuckle, who threw for 4,370 yards, 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions to be named by the team. Most Outstanding Player candidate.
The Argonauts ranked seventh in net offense, sixth in net defense and seventh in turnover differential of minus-eight. The club's leading rusher was Spencer Brown with 314 yards, the leading receiver was Dejon Brissett with 907 yards, and the leading tackler was Cameron Judge with 79 tackles. Toronto ranked ninth in attendance with an average attendance of 15,109, down 0.1 percent from the previous year.
