Saskatoon Hilltops head coach now has most wins in Canadian amateur football history, says expert

When the Saskatoon Hilltops crushed the London Beefeaters 51-1 last weekend it was head coach Tom Sargeant's 209th career victory.

The win propelled the Hilltops to their sixth straight Canadian Bowl, where they'll play the Langley Rams.

According to freelance sports reporter Darren Steinke, it also meant Sargeant now has more wins than any coach in Canadian amateur football.

Steinke said former University of Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal had 208 wins split between junior and university.

Only two coaches have more wins in the CFL than Sergeant does in the amatuer ranks — Wally Buono with 282 and Don Matthews with 231, Steinke added.

Since becoming the Hilltops head coach in 1998, Sergeant has compiled a mind-boggling 209-30-2 record and won 11 Canadian championships.

Sergeant was also an assistant coach for seven years and played for the Hilltops, winning a national title in 1985.

Steinke says Sergeant's love for the game is second to none.

He has a passion and love for the game and team that is second to none.

"There's that passion, that drive," Steinke said. "You can tell the Hilltops are part of his fabric."

Sargeant also has the support from his wife and two daughters. In fact, they are one vital reason he is still coaching.

Steinke said Sergeant thought about stepping down as head coach more than a decade ago.

"They had a family vote and he lost 3-1," Steinke said.

Maybe even  more astounding than the number of wins is that Sargeant'ts teams have only lost 30 times over that span, giving him an unheard winning percentage of more than .800.

Coaching isn't even his 'full-time job.' Sargeant is a high school principal.

Steinke said Sergeant has inevitably had chances to coach other teams, but has always remained with the Hilltops.

For instance, when the University of Saskatchewan Huskies head coaching job came open a couple of years ago Steinke said there was pressure on Sergeant to look into it. 

"I think one of the reasons he didn't go for it was it didn't feel like it would be him."

Now the Hilltops have a chance at their sixth straight title in a rematch with the Rams Nov. 16 in Langley, B.C.

Last year the Hilltops demolished the Rams 58-21 in the final game.

Steinke said this could be a much sterner test for Saskatoon. The Rams now know what it will take to compete against the Hilltops and he expects a close-fought game.