David “Tuffy” Knight
Inducted In
2000
The architect of successful football programs at both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, West Virginia native Dave “Tuffy” Knight went on to become the coach with the most wins in Canadian university football history.
Coming from a successful high school football scene in Ohio, Dave joined the Waterloo Lutheran University as Director of Athletics and basketball coach in 1965. Taking over as football coach in 1966, he made an early impact and won five league championships with the Golden Hawks from 1966 to 1978, and was National Intercollegiate Coach of the Year in 1972 and 1979.
Switching to the Canadian professional football scene with the Toronto Argonauts as Director of Player Personnel for a few years, Knight returned to the University coaching ranks, this time with the University of Waterloo in 1988. After a few losing seasons he built the Warriors into contenders, and won the league championship in 1997, was named CIAU coach of the year in 1989 and finished his coaching career in 1997 as the coach with the most wins in Canadian university football with 158 wins.