Wayne Fontes
Coaching Record
| Years Coached | Record | Win % | Playoff record | Playoff win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 128-195-1 | 39.66% | 2-6 | 25.00% |
Coaching Tree
Parents:
Children:
Biography
Career Summary
Wayne Fontes was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1996, finishing his career as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. Over his twenty-one years of coaching his teams compiled a cumulative win/loss record of 128-195-1. He was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 1989 until the 1996 season, during which time the Lions went 64-64-0. During his career he was a head coach for eight seasons. He was fired from the Lions on Friday, December 27, 1996.
Career Awards
Fontes won the NFL's Coach of the Year award in 1991 after guiding the Lions to a 12-4-0 record and a a berth in the playoffs. During the 1989 and 1994 seasons as the head coach of the Detroit Lions he coached Barry Sanders to the AP Offensive Player of the Year and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Wayne Fontes Coaching Tree
Before he was a head coach, Fontes served as an assistant coach for John McKay and Darryl Rogers. Nine of these years were spent on McKay's coaching staff. One assistant coach from his coaching staffs, June Jones, was eventually hired as a head coach. After coaching on Wayne Fontes's coaching staff, he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons where he combined for a regular season record of 19-29-0 and 0-1 in the playoffs.
History
| Year | Position | Record | Playoff record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 5-11-0 | 0-0 |
| 1995 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 10-6-0 | 0-1 |
| 1994 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-1 |
| 1993 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 10-6-0 | 0-0 |
| 1992 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 5-11-0 | 0-0 |
| 1991 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 12-4-0 | 1-1 |
| 1990 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 6-10-0 | 0-0 |
| 1989 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 7-9-0 | 0-0 |
| 1988 Detroit Lions | Defensive Coordinator / Secondary Coach | 4-12-0 | 0-0 |
| 1987 Detroit Lions | Defensive Coordinator | 4-11-0 | 0-0 |
| 1986 Detroit Lions | Defensive Coordinator | 5-11-0 | 0-0 |
| 1985 Detroit Lions | Defensive Coordinator | 7-9-0 | 0-0 |
| 1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach | 6-10-0 | 0-0 |
| 1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach | 2-14-0 | 0-0 |
| 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach | 5-4-0 | 0-1 |
| 1981 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Backs Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-1 |
| 1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Backs Coach | 5-10-1 | 0-0 |
| 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Backs Coach | 10-6-0 | 1-1 |
| 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Backs Coach | 5-11-0 | 0-0 |
| 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Backs Coach | 2-12-0 | 0-0 |
| 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive Secondary Coach | 0-14-0 | 0-0 |
Coach history guide
| Seasons with a championship win | Seasons with a conference championship |
Coach facts
- Years as head coach: 8
- Years as a coordinator: 7
- Coach of the Year: 1991
- First in total wins for the Detroit Lions.
- Past teams coached for: Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- College Attended: Michigan State Spartans