Buck Pierce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Buck Pierce

BC Lions
Pierce with the Blue Bombers in 2022
Born:	(1981-11-15) November 15, 1981 (age 43) Hutchinson, Kansas, U.S.
Career information
CFL status	International
Position(s)	Head coach Offensive coordinator
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg)
College	New Mexico State
High school	Crescent City (CA) Del Norte
Hand	Right
Career history
As coach
2014–2015	Winnipeg Blue Bombers (RB)
2016–2019	Winnipeg Blue Bombers (QB)
2020–2024	Winnipeg Blue Bombers (OC)
2025–present	BC Lions (HC/OC)
As player
2005–2009	BC Lions
2010–2013	Winnipeg Blue Bombers
2013	BC Lions
Career highlights and awards
3× Grey Cup champion (2006, 2019, 2021) First-team All-Sun Belt (2004)
Career stats
Playing stats at CFL.ca (archive)

Buck James Pierce (born November 15, 1981) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach and offensive coordinator for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Before becoming a coach, he was a professional quarterback. He played for nine seasons in the CFL.

Buck Pierce played for the BC Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He started his career with the Lions for five years. Then, he joined the Blue Bombers for the 2010 CFL season. In the 2013 CFL season, he returned to the Lions. The Blue Bombers traded him for another player, Akeem Foster. He played in two Grey Cup championship games. He won a championship as a player in 2006. Later, as a coach, he helped the Winnipeg Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021. He played college football at New Mexico State from 2001 to 2004. He was the starting quarterback for most of his final year there.

Early Life and High School Football

Buck Pierce is the son of Tim and Connie Pierce. He went to Del Norte High School in Crescent City, California. He was a starting quarterback for three years at Del Norte. During his junior and senior years, he led his team, the Warriors, to a great 16-4 record.

High School Achievements

In 1999, as a senior, Buck threw for 2,225 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was named the Big 5 Conference Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row. He also set new school records for passing yards and touchdowns in a single season and for his whole career. In 1998, he threw for 2,010 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. As a sophomore in 1997, he had 1,180 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Buck was also chosen for the Times Standard North Coast California All-Century team. He was a talented athlete in other sports too. He qualified for the North State track meet in long jump, jumping over 22 feet as a junior. He also helped his high school basketball team win two league titles as a starting guard.

College Football Career

Buck Pierce attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He studied kinesiology, which is the study of body movement. In 2001, in his very first run as a college player, he made an amazing 75-yard run against Louisville. He was very careful with the ball, not throwing any interceptions in 2001. He also avoided interceptions in 2002 until late in the season.

He wore the number 11 jersey. As a sophomore, he started seven games. In 2004, during his senior year, he became the main starting quarterback. He was known for having high efficiency ratings as a college quarterback.

Professional Playing Career

Playing for the BC Lions

Pierce playing for the BC Lions in 2007

Buck Pierce signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League on May 16, 2005. He started as the third-string quarterback. His first CFL game was on August 19, 2005, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In that game, he completed all three of his passes. He also threw his first CFL touchdown pass to running back Antonio Warren. The Lions won that game 39-15.

When the starting quarterbacks got injured, Buck got his first chance to start a game. This was in Week 16 against Winnipeg on October 10, 2005. The Lions lost that game 44-23. Buck completed 12 of 22 passes for 133 yards.

Becoming a Starter and Grey Cup Win

In 2006, after another quarterback left for the NFL, Buck became the backup to Dave Dickenson. When Dickenson got injured, Buck stepped in as the starter for two games. He earned his first CFL win as a starter, and the team won both games. Dickenson returned but got injured again. Buck started three more games and won them all. He had a great record of 5-1 as a starter. He led the CFL in completion percentage (73.7%) and had the second-highest quarterback rating (109.0). At the end of the season, Buck helped the Lions win the championship. He played a few snaps in the 94th Grey Cup.

In 2007, the starting quarterback Dave Dickenson got another concussion. Buck took over as the starting quarterback. By mid-August, Buck was playing with many injuries, including his ribs, toe, hand, and shoulder. He kept playing until another backup, Jarious Jackson, took over. The Lions had a fantastic season with a 14-3-1 record. However, they lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Final. Because of his many injuries, people sometimes called Buck the Lions' "walking bruise." By the end of 2007, he had started 11 games for the Lions, with a record of 7 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie.

Later Years with BC Lions

In 2008, Buck competed to be the starting quarterback. He won the job after the pre-season. But he got injured in the first regular season game. He became the backup until the other quarterback struggled. Buck returned as the starter against Montreal on Labour Day Weekend. He led the Lions to a big win in the West Semi-Final. Then, they played in the West Final against Calgary, but they lost.

The 2009 was tough for Buck. He dealt with concussions and shoulder injuries. He was sidelined in Week 7. He returned in Week 12 after another quarterback got injured. But Buck faced more injuries and left a game against Winnipeg. This meant the third-string quarterback, Travis Lulay, had to finish the game.

The team signed former CFL MVP Casey Printers. When Printers got injured in the last game of the season, Buck came in. But he also got a shoulder injury. On March 9, 2010, Buck Pierce was released by the BC Lions.

Playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Buck Pierce signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on April 12, 2010. He started Winnipeg's first game of the 2010 CFL season. Buck had an injury-filled season, starting only five games. Even though his backup played well, the Blue Bombers showed faith in Buck. They traded their backup quarterback in May 2011, making Buck the clear starter.

The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season started with high hopes. The team wanted to make the playoffs. A big question was Buck Pierce's health, as he had missed many games the year before. Throughout the season, Buck's health was less of a problem, even though he took some hard hits. The Blue Bombers started the season strong with a 7-1 record. They led the Eastern Conference. After Labour Day Weekend, the team struggled a bit. They finished the season with a 10-8 record. Buck's statistics weren't amazing, but he showed he could stay healthy enough to win games.

The 2012 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season also began with a lot of hope. The team had made it to the 99th Grey Cup the previous season. Buck got a leg injury in July, which made him miss several games. In only his second game back, on September 29, 2012, Buck took a hard hit to his head and got a concussion. By the end of the season, Buck had played in only 7 of the 18 regular season games. The Blue Bombers finished the year with a 6-12 record and did not make the playoffs.

Before the 2013 season, the Bombers released other quarterbacks. This left Buck as the only quarterback on the team with CFL experience. After Week 5, Buck lost his starting job to Justin Goltz. He then became the third-string quarterback.

Return to BC Lions and Retirement

Because of new young quarterbacks in Winnipeg and Buck's injuries, he was traded back to the BC Lions on September 8, 2013. He played in five games for the Lions and started their last regular season game of 2013. After a nine-year career, Buck Pierce announced his retirement from playing football on March 4, 2014.

Playing Statistics

*Team qualified for Crossover

Coaching Career

Coaching for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

On March 7, 2014, just three days after retiring as a player, Buck Pierce became the running backs coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He worked in this role for two seasons. Then, on February 3, 2016, he was named the team's quarterbacks coach. In 2019, Pierce coached quarterbacks like Matt Nichols, Chris Streveler, and Zach Collaros. Collaros was the starting quarterback when the team won the 107th Grey Cup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

On January 21, 2020, Pierce became the offensive coordinator for the Blue Bombers. The previous offensive coordinator had left to become a head coach. The 2020 CFL season was canceled. In the following seasons, Pierce's offense helped the team succeed. Quarterback Zach Collaros was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player. The Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup again in their 108th Grey Cup victory. As offensive coordinator for four seasons, the Blue Bombers reached the championship game every year and won one Grey Cup.

Coaching for the BC Lions

On December 3, 2024, Buck Pierce was named the head coach of the BC Lions. He is the 28th head coach in the team's history. On January 2, 2025, it was confirmed that he would also serve as the team's offensive coordinator.

Personal Life

Buck Pierce and his wife live in Winnipeg. He used to own a barbeque restaurant there, which closed in 2015. They have a daughter, who was born in 2015.