| John Payne | |
| Birth Date: | 15 May 1933 |
| Birth Place: | Wewoka, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Ardmore, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Player Years1: | 1951–1954 |
| Player Team1: | Oklahoma State |
| Player Positions: | Guard, center |
| Coach Years1: | 1956–1958 |
| Coach Team1: | Tulsa Central HS (OK) (assistant) |
| Coach Years2: | 1959–1963 |
| Coach Team2: | McLain HS (OK) |
| Coach Years3: | 1964–1965 |
| Coach Team3: | Central State (OK) (OL) |
| Coach Years4: | 1966–1967 |
| Coach Team4: | BYU (OL) |
| Coach Years5: | 1968–1969 |
| Coach Team5: | Edmonton Eskimos (OL) |
| Coach Years6: | 1970 |
| Coach Team6: | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (assistant) |
| Coach Years7: | 1971–1972 |
| Coach Team7: | Saskatchewan Roughriders (assistant) |
| Coach Years8: | 1973–1976 |
| Coach Team8: | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Coach Years9: | 1977 |
| Coach Team9: | Detroit Lions (OL) |
| Coach Years10: | 1978–1980 |
| Coach Team10: | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| Coach Years11: | 1981–1982 |
| Coach Team11: | TCU (OC) |
| Coach Years12: | 1983 |
| Coach Team12: | Chicago Blitz (OL) |
| Coach Years13: | 1983–1984 |
| Coach Team13: | Arizona Wranglers (OL) |
| Coach Years14: | 1985–1990 |
| Coach Team14: | Abilene Christian |
| Coach Years15: | 1991 |
| Coach Team15: | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (assistant) |
| Coach Years16: | 1992 |
| Coach Team16: | Toronto Argonauts (OL) |
| Coach Years17: | 1993 |
| Coach Team17: | Sacramento Gold Miners (OL) |
| Coach Years18: | 1994 |
| Coach Team18: | BC Lions (OC) |
| Coach Years19: | 1995 |
| Coach Team19: | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (DL) |
| Coach Years20: | 1996 |
| Coach Team20: | London Monarchs (OL) |
| Coach Years21: | 1996 |
| Coach Team21: | Ottawa Rough Riders (assistant) |
| Coach Years22: | 1996 |
| Coach Team22: | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Coach Years23: | 1997 |
| Coach Team23: | Frankfurt Galaxy (OC) |
| Coach Years24: | 1998 |
| Coach Team24: | New York CityHawks (OC) |
| Overall Record: | 62–63–3 (CFL) 26–34–2 (college) |
| Admin Years1: | 1959–1964 |
| Admin Team1: | McLain HS (OK) |
John D. Payne (May 15, 1933 – May 18, 2019) was an American collegiate and professional football coach. He served as head coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1973–1976), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1978–1980) and Ottawa Rough Riders (1996) of the Canadian Football League (CFL), compiling a career record of 62–63–3. Payne also was the head football coach at Abilene Christian University from 1985 to 1990, posting a mark of 26–34–2.
After serving as an assistant with Central High School[1] and BYU,[2] Payne moved to the Canadian Football League in 1968. He served as an assistant with the Edmonton Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders before becoming the Roughriders head coach in 1973.[3] In his four season as head coach, Payne had a 40–23–1 record and led Saskatchewan to the 1976 Grey Cup.
Payne left the Roughriders in 1977 and joined Tommy Hudspeth's coaching staff with the Detroit Lions. The entire staff was fired on January 9, 1978.[4] He returned to the CFL, replacing Tom Dimitroff as head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats five games into the 1978 season.[5] He had some success with Hamilton, compiling an 18–24–1 record over three seasons and leading the team to the 1980 Grey Cup. After the Tiger-Cats trouncing at the hands of the Edmonton Eskimo dynasty 48–10 in the Grey Cup game, owner Harold Ballard indicated that he preferred recently fired Arizona State football coach Frank Kush over Payne, which led to his resignation.[6]
After leaving the Hamilton TigerCats, Payne went to Texas Christian University (TCU), where he coached as the offensive line coach under head coach F. A. Dry from 1981 to 1982. He then moved to Chicago to coach with the Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League (USFL) under George Allen. Payne moved to Arizona when the Blitz franchise was moved and became the Arizona Wranglers. In 1985, Payne became head coach at Abilene Christian University located in Abilene, Texas. He was the Wildcats head coach for six seasons [7] [8] and had a coaching record of 26–34–2.
Payne returned to the CFL in 1993 as the offensive line coach for the Sacramento Gold Miners.[9] In 1995, Norton Herrick, an Orlando, Florida real estate developer, announced plans to move the CFL's Las Vegas Posse to Jackson, Mississippi. Payne was to be the club's head coach, however plans fell through and the relocation did not take place; the team instead folded.[10] In 1996, Payne, then an assistant with the Ottawa Rough Riders, was promoted to head coach.[11] He coached the team to a 3–11 record; the team finished the year 3–15. The Rough Riders ceased operations after the season and Payne became the final coach in the 120-year history of the team.
On November 18, 1997, the New York CityHawks of the Arena Football League named Payne offensive coordinator.
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
| SSK | 1973 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in West Division | 1 | 1 | Lost in West Final | |
| SSK | 1974 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in West Division | 1 | 1 | Lost in West Final | |
| SSK | 1975 | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 2nd in West Division | 1 | 1 | Lost in West Final | |
| SSK | 1976 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in West Division | 1 | 1 | Lost Grey Cup | |
| HAM | 1978 | 4 | 7 | 0 | .363 | 3rd in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Semi-Final | |
| HAM | 1979 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3rd in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Semi-Final | |
| HAM | 1980 | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3rd in East Division | 1 | 1 | Lost Grey Cup | |
| OTT | 1996 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | Last in East Division | did not qualify | |||
| Total | 61 | 60 | 2 | .508 | 1 Division Championship | 5 | 7 | |||