Don Matthews died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. 

A member of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Hall of Fame, Matthews announced in 2012 that he was battling the disease and, according to the Toronto Argonauts, the 77-year old passed away in Beaverton, Oregon.

Matthews began his career as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1977 and would go on to be a head coach for six different CFL franchises (B.C., Toronto, Saskatchewan, Baltimore, Montreal and Edmonton).

He retired in 2008 as the league's winningest coach, with a record of 231-132-1 (Wally Buono would go on to surpass Matthews in 2009).  

Matthews coached the Roughriders from 1991-1993, taking the team to the playoffs in 1992 and 1993.  In each of those years the 'Riders lost to Edmonton in the West Semi-Final. 

In a statement issued by the CFL, Chair of the League’s Board of Governors, Jim Lawson, said:

“Upon hearing of the passing of Don Matthews, the Canadian Football League family is both deeply saddened by this loss and grateful for his many contributions to our league.

"The Don", as he was known, was one of a kind. He was a leader for so many of our greatest players and teams. He was a mentor to many of our current coaches. He was a charismatic star that loved to spar with the media at the same time he commanded the spotlight.

The record book is filled with his accomplishments. He won five Grey Cups as a head coach, with Toronto (2), Montreal, Baltimore and British Columbia. That ties him for the most ever, with three other legends (Wally Buono, Frank Clair and Hugh Campbell). He was a head coach in nine Grey Cups in total, tying him for the most ever. He won five more Grey Cup rings as a defensive coordinator, all with Edmonton.

He won 231 regular season games as a head coach, which made him the winningest coach in CFL history until his total was eclipsed just a few years ago. His defences and his teams inevitably took on his persona: they were bold, brash, confident. And like him, they were winners.

A Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Don Matthews had style and swagger and a passion for life as well as football, and the CFL was more colourful, more compelling and simply better because he was part of it.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, all those who knew him and loved him, and the countless fans who will long remember him”.