Bio

Robert "Bob" O'Billovich, nicknamed "Obie", (born June 30, 1940) is a former Canadian Football League player, coach and administrator. He coached the 1970 Gee-Gees squad to an Atlantic Bowl championship, setting the stage for the legendary teams that would follow.

Bob was an outstanding athlete at the University of Montana serving as a captain on the football, basketball and baseball teams. He was voted the school’s Athlete of the Decade between the years 1960 and 1970 and was inducted into the Grizzly Hall of Fame in 1993.

O’Billovich began his CFL career as a player with the Ottawa Rough Riders playing both defensive back and quarterback. He played five seasons (1963-67) with Ottawa, recording 24 interceptions and winning a CFL East All-Star award in 1965.

O’Billovich coached for one year for the Gee-Gees football team.  Even if his tenure was short with the football program, he made an impact. The Gee-Gees posted an overall record of 7-1-1 under his leadership in 1970, and captured the Atlantic Bowl with a 24-11 win over UNB. The Garnet and Grey advanced to their first appearance in the College Bowl national final, but lost 38-11 to Manitoba at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium. When he joined uOttawa as head coach, it was his first full-time coaching job.

O’Billovich then served as head coach for uOttawa men's basketball team from 1973 to 1977. In his four seasons, he won 78 of 116 games and brought the team to the CIAU Championship twice (1973, 1974), finishing in seventh and fifth place.

In 1977, O'Billovich started his CFL coaching career with the Ottawa Rough Riders and was named head coach of the Toronto Argonauts (1982-1989). He then spent three years as GM and head coach of the BC Lions (1990-92) before returning to Toronto as head coach (1993-95) and GM (1994-95). He appeared in the Grey Cup three times (1982, 1983, 1987), winning the cup in 1983 and was honored as CFL Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1987. O'Billovich was director of player personnel with Saskatchewan (1998-99), Calgary (2000) and BC (2003-07). The same year he was hired as GM by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and was promoted to vice president of football operations in 2012.

O'Billovich entered the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2015.