MISSISSAUGA, Ontario ” A coaching career that began at Roaring Fork High School hit its peak on Thursday when the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts announced Rich Stubler as the successor to outgoing head coach Mike “Pinball” Clemons.

The widely anticipated move came on the heels of Clemons’ shift to the Argonauts’ front office as the club’s new CEO.

Clemons wanted only Stubler, who began his CFL coaching career in 1983, for the head coaching position.

“Through (my) transition from player to coach, Rich Stubler has been my most trusted friend, all and colleague,” Clemons said. “Both as men and professionals, we have grown together. … There was no other choice to take our team to the next level, present company included.”

Stubler is a 1967 graduate of Glenwood Springs High School, where he played football before moving on to the University of Wyoming. From there, the defensive guru started his coaching career at Roaring Fork under then-head coach Bill Hanks, kicking off a career that’s included numerous stops in the collegiate and CFL ranks.

The Stubler name will forever be linked to Glenwood Springs through Rich’s father, Nick, who crafted a legacy as Glenwood Springs High School’s football coach and athletic director. The school’s football/soccer field ” Stubler Memorial Field ” bears the surname as a tribute to the elder Stubler, who died 20 years ago.