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{{short description|American gridiron football player and coach (born 1940)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL player
|name=Bob O'Billovich
|image=2023, Alum83, Bob O'Billovich.jpg
|caption=O'Billovich in 2023
|import=yes
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1940|6|30}}
|birth_place=[[Butte, Montana]], U.S.
|death_date=
|position1=Quarterback
|position2=Defensive back
|number=
|Height_ft=5
|Height_in=10
|Weight_lbs=182
|College=[[University of Montana|Montana]]
|NFLDraftedYear=1962
|NFLDraftedRound=12
|NFLDraftedPick=159<br>(By the [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis Cardinals]])
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|1963}}–{{CFL Year|1967}}
|playing_team1=[[Ottawa Rough Riders]]
|administrating_years1={{CFL Year|1990}}–{{CFL Year|1992}}
|administrating_team1=[[BC Lions]] ([[General Manager|GM]])
|administrating_years2={{CFL Year|1994}}–{{CFL Year|1995}}
|administrating_team2=[[Toronto Argonauts]] (GM)
|administrating_years3={{CFL Year|2008}}–{{CFL Year|2012}}
|administrating_team3=[[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] (GM)
|coaching_years1={{CFL Year|1982}}–{{CFL Year|1989}}
|coaching_team1=[[Toronto Argonauts]]
|coaching_years2={{CFL Year|1990}}–{{CFL Year|1992}}
|coaching_team2=[[BC Lions]]
|coaching_years3={{CFL Year|1993}}–{{CFL Year|1994}}
|coaching_team3=Toronto Argonauts
|coaching_years4={{CFL Year|1995}}
|coaching_team4=Toronto Argonauts
|career_highlights=
* [[Grey Cup]] champion ([[71st Grey Cup|1983]])
* 2× [[Annis Stukus Trophy]] (1982, 1987)
* [[CFL East]] All-Star ({{CFL Year|1965}})
|CFHOF=bob-obillovich
|CFHOFYear=2015
}}
'''Robert O'Billovich''', nicknamed "'''Bobby O'''" or "'''Obie'''", (born June 30, 1940) is an east regional [[Scout (sport)|scout]] for the [[BC Lions]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL).<ref>[http://www.bclions.com/lions-staff/ BC Lions Staff]</ref> O'Billovich has been involved with the CFL since 1963 in the roles of player, coach, general manager, scout, and several front-office positions. As a long-time coach in the CFL, he won 107 regular season games in the CFL, the [[List of Canadian Football League head coaches by wins|eighth highest win total by a head coach]] in the league's history.

==Early life==
O'Billovich was born and raised in [[Butte, Montana]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Bob O'Billovich|url=https://ottawasporthall.ca/2024/01/05/bob-obillovich/|website=Ottawa Sports Hall}}</ref> where he was an outstanding football and basketball player at Butte High School. At Butte HS he lettered three years in basketball and two years in football; making All State in both sports. He also lettered in track and played shortstop on the Butte American Legion baseball team.

==NCAA college basketball==
After graduating from high school in [[Butte, Montana]], O'Billovich went to [[Missoula, Montana]] to attend Montana State University (later renamed the [[University of Montana]]).<ref name="1985 Ferguson">{{cite book |last1=Ferguson |first1=Bob |author-link1=Bob Ferguson (journalist) |year=1985 |chapter=Alphabetic Listing of Biographies |title=Who's Who In Canadian Sport |title-link=Who's Who In Canadian Sport |language=en |location=[[Toronto]] |publisher=[[Summerhill Press]] |page=185 |isbn=0-920197-13-2}}</ref><ref name=billovich3>{{cite news|title=O'Billovich Pays A Visit|last=Foley|first=Bill|newspaper=Montana Standard|access-date=August 27, 2011|date=August 23, 2008|url=http://mtstandard.com/sports/high-school/article_e3982ac9-f891-5948-badf-0f4115a48c7f.html}}</ref> He played in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] in [[American football|football]], [[basketball]] and [[baseball]], where he started in all three sports for three years. O'Billovich started three years in football for Montana as a quarterback and defensive back (1959–1961). In addition, O'Billovich was a starting guard in basketball (1960–1962) and the starting shortstop in baseball for Montana (1960–1962). He was an all-Skyline Conference selection in all three sports. He also lettered at least one year in track for Montana. He was named University of Montana ''Athlete of the Decade'' for 1960–1970, and inducted to the University of Montana's ''Grizzly Athletic Hall of Fame'' in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gogriz.com/honors/grizzly-sports-hall-of-fame/bob--obillovich/7|title=Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame|website=Gogriz.com}}</ref>

==Professional career==
O'Billovich began his CFL career with the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] in [[1963 CFL season|1963]] as a [[defensive back]] and backup [[quarterback]]. He also served as a backup [[placekicker]], completed his only [[Conversion (gridiron football)|one-point convert]] attempt. He recorded 24 interceptions over 69 games with the Rough Riders between 1963 and 1967 before ending his playing career.<ref>[http://www.statscrew.com/football/stats/p-obillbob001 Stats Crew Bob O'Billovich]</ref>

==Basketball coaching career==
Bob O'Billovich was coach of the [[Carleton University]] [[Carleton Ravens|Ravens]] [[Canadian Interuniversity Sport|CIAU]] men's basketball team from 1971 to 1973. From 1973 to 1974, O'Billovich served as head coach for the [[University of Ottawa]] [[Ottawa Gee-Gees|Gee-Gees]] men's basketball team.

==Football administrative career==
In [[1974 CFL season|1974]], O'Billovich launched his CFL coaching career with the Rough Riders, first as a guest coach, and then assistant coach.

O'Billovich was named head coach of the [[Toronto Argonauts]] in [[1982 CFL season|1982]], a position he held until [[1989 CFL season|1989]].  During his tenure at [[Toronto]], the Argonauts appeared in the [[Grey Cup]] three times (1982, [[1983 CFL season|1983]], [[1987 CFL season|1987]]), winning the Cup in 1983.  He was honoured as [[CFL Coach of the Year]] in 1982 and 1987.

Bob O'Billovich joined the [[BC Lions]] in midseason on September 14, 1990, as general manager and interim coach. The Lions had been off to a dismal 2–8-1 start that season; they finished the season with an improved 6–11-1 record. O'Billovich remained as head coach of the Lions through the end of the [[1992 CFL season|1992 season]], a year in which the Lions finished at 3–15.

In 1993, O'Billovich returned to the Argonauts as [[general manager]]. The Argos began that season poorly, and O'Billovich took over as head coach on September 10, 1993.  He coached for the remainder of the [[1993 CFL season|1993 season]] and for the entirety of the [[1994 CFL season|1994 season]].  At the end of the 1994 season, O'Billovich relinquished the head coach position to concentrate on his general manager duties.  The Argos again had a poor start for the [[1995 CFL season|1995 season]] and O'Billovich took over as head coach for the final nine games after firing [[Mike Faragalli]]; the team finished the season with a lackluster 4–14 record. He finished with 89 career regular season wins as a head coach of the Argonauts, which is the most in franchise history.

O'Billovich was director of player personnel with the Lions from 2003 to 2007.  In December 2007, O'Billovich was hired as general manager by the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/o-billovich-named-ticats-general-manager-1.641615|title=Bob O'Billovich tabbed as Tiger-Cats GM|publisher=CBC.ca|date=2007-12-04|access-date=2007-12-05}}</ref> On January 12, 2012, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced his promotion to Vice President of football operations.<ref name="VP">https://www.cfl.ca/article/ticats-promote-o-billovich-to-vp-of-football-ops {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923230646/http://www.cfl.ca/article/ticats-promote-o-billovich-to-vp-of-football-ops |date=2015-09-23 }} Ticats promote O'Billovich to VP of Football Ops</ref> On December 17, 2012, [[Kent Austin]] replaced O'Billovich as the Tiger-Cats' GM when he was also hired as the team's new head coach.

He was inducted into the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]] in 2015.

==CFL coaching record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Won!!Lost!!Ties!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !!  Result
|-
![[1982 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1982 CFL season|1982]]
||9||6||1||.600|| '''1st in East Division''' || 1 || 1 || Lost in Grey Cup
|-
![[1983 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1983 CFL season|1983]]
||'''12'''||'''4'''||'''0'''||'''.750'''|| '''1st in East Division''' || '''2''' || '''0''' || '''Won [[71st Grey Cup|Grey Cup]]'''
|-
![[1984 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1984 CFL season|1984]]
||9||6||1||.600|| '''1st in East Division''' || 0 || 1 || Lost in East Final
|-
![[1985 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1985 CFL season|1985]]
||6||10||0||.375|| 4th in East Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1986 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1986 CFL season|1986]]
||10||8||0||.555|| '''1st in East Division''' || 1 || 1 || Lost in East Final
|-
![[1987 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1987 CFL season|1987]]
||11||6||1||.647|| 2nd in East Division || 2 || 1 || Lost in Grey Cup
|-
![[1988 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1988 CFL season|1988]]
||14||4||0||.777||'''1st in East Division''' || 0 || 1 || Lost in East Final
|-
![[1989 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1989 CFL season|1989]]
||7||11||0||.388|| 2nd in East Division || 0 || 1 || Lost in East Semi-Final
|-
![[1990 BC Lions season|BC]]||[[1990 CFL season|1990]]
||4||3||0||.571|| 4th in West Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1991 BC Lions season|BC]]||[[1991 CFL season|1991]]
||11||7||0||.611|| 3rd in West Division || 0 || 1 || Lost in West Semi-Final
|-
![[1992 BC Lions season|BC]]||[[1992 CFL season|1992]]
||3||15||0||.166|| 4th in West Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1993 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1993 CFL season|1993]]
||2||6||0||.250|| 4th in East Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1994 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1994 CFL season|1994]]
||7||11||0||.388|| 3rd in East Division || 0 || 1 || Lost in East Semi-Final
|-
![[1995 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1995 CFL season|1995]]
||2||7||0||.222|| 7th in North Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
! colspan="2"|'''Total'''
||'''107'''||'''104'''||'''3'''||'''.507'''||'''5 Division<br />Championships'''|| '''6''' || '''8''' ||'''1 Grey Cup'''
|}

==CFL GM record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Won!!Lost!!Ties!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !!  Result
|-
![[1990 BC Lions season|BC]]||[[1990 CFL season|1990]]
||4||3||0||.571|| 4th in West Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1991 BC Lions season|BC]]||[[1991 CFL season|1991]]
||11||7||0||.611|| 3rd in West Division || 0 || 1 || Lost in West Semi-Final
|-
![[1992 BC Lions season|BC]]||[[1992 CFL season|1992]]
||3||15||0||.166|| 4th in West Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1993 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1993 CFL season|1993]]
||2||6||0||.250|| 4th in East Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[1994 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1994 CFL season|1994]]
||7||11||0||.388|| 3rd in East Division || 0 || 1 || Lost in East Semi-Final
|-
![[1995 Toronto Argonauts season|TOR]]||[[1995 CFL season|1995]]
||4||14||0||.222|| 7th in North Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
![[2008 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season|HAM]]||[[2008 CFL season|2008]]
||3||15||0||.166|| 4th in East Division || – || – || Missed Playoffs
|-
![[2009 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season|HAM]]||[[2009 CFL season|2009]]
||9||9||0||.500|| 2nd in East Division || 0 || 1 || Lost [[97th Grey Cup#East Semi-Final|East Semi-Final]]
|-
![[2010 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season|HAM]]||[[2010 CFL season|2010]]
||9||9||0||.500|| 2nd in East Division || 0 || 1 || Lost [[98th Grey Cup#East Semi-Final|East Semi-Final]]
|-
![[2011 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season|HAM]]||[[2011 CFL season|2011]]
||8||10||0||.444|| 3rd in East Division || 1 || 1 || Lost [[99th Grey Cup#East Final|East Final]]
|-
![[2012 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season|HAM]]||[[2012 CFL season|2012]]
||6||12||0||.333|| 3rd in East Division || - || - || Failed to Qualify
|-
! colspan="2"|'''Total'''
||'''66'''||'''111'''||'''0'''||'''.372'''||'''0 Division<br />Championships'''|| '''1''' || '''5''' ||'''0 Grey Cups'''
|}

==Achievements==
* University of Montana Athlete of the Decade (1960–1970)<ref name="1985 Ferguson" />
* Inducted to the University of Montana ''Grizzly Athletic Hall of Fame'' in 1993
* CFL Coach of the Year (1982, 1987)
* [[Grey Cup]] champion coach (1983)
* All-time winningest coach for the Argonauts (89–79–3 in 11 seasons)

==Personal==
O'Billovich lives in [[Oakville, Ontario]],<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/2162603-personal-tragedy-kept-obie-close-to-home/ |title = Personal tragedy kept Obie close to home|newspaper = The Hamilton Spectator|date = 2007-12-06}}</ref> married to wife Judy from Ottawa where their children, Tracy, Jodi, and Coy, were born.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/bob-obillovich-announces-retirement-after-50-year-career-in-cfl/article8163921/ |title = Bob O'Billovich announces retirement after 50-year career in CFL}}</ref> His younger brother, Jack "Mad Dog" O'Billovich, who died in 1995 of a heart condition, was an All-American at Oregon State who helped OSU get to the Rose Bowl in 1965.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Montana Grizzlies quarterback navbox}}
{{Ottawa Gee-Gees football coach navbox}}
{{Toronto Argonauts coach navbox}}
{{BC Lions general manager navbox}}
{{BC Lions coach navbox}}
{{Toronto Argonauts general manager navbox}}
{{Hamilton Tiger-Cats general manager navbox}}
{{CFL on TSN}}
{{71st Grey Cup}}
{{Annis Stukus Trophy}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals 1962 draft navbox}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obillovich, Bob}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian football defensive backs]]
[[Category:Canadian football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:BC Lions coaches]]
[[Category:BC Lions general managers]]
[[Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats general managers]]
[[Category:Montana Grizzlies football players]]
[[Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players]]
[[Category:Toronto Argonauts coaches]]
[[Category:Toronto Argonauts general managers]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League announcers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Butte, Montana]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Montana]]
[[Category:American people of Serbian descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Serbian descent]]
[[Category:Ottawa Gee-Gees football coaches]]
[[Category:Butte High School (Butte, Montana) alumni]]