Norm Kimball

Norman Harvey Kimball was a Canadian football executive who built one of the greatest dynasties in Canadian Football League history as general manager of the Edmonton Eskimos. Born on 29 June 1930, he died on 25 September 2026 at the age of 96.

An Edmonton native, Kimball coached junior football in the city before joining his hometown professional club in 1961 as minor football coordinator. He was named general manager in the mid 1960s. The Canadian Football Hall of Fame cites 1964; later club summaries often list 1966. He led the franchise through 1985. Under his direction Edmonton won the Grey Cup in 1975 and then five straight titles from 1978 to 1982, six championships in all. Contemporary reports credit his tenure with a combined record of 199 wins, 141 losses and 12 ties. Years of scouting experience helped him build a recruiting network that brought strong young athletes to the Green and Gold, and hall of fame profiles credit his executive offices with unusual efficiency.

Beyond the Eskimos he chaired the CFL general managers for three years and, from 1975, headed the league's Player Relations Committee in negotiations with the Canadian Football League Players' Association. Those league roles put him at the centre of labour talks and of how clubs shared talent information across Canada. After leaving Edmonton in 1985 he spent two seasons as president and chief operating officer of the Montreal Alouettes. He was inducted into Edmonton's Wall of Honour in 1990, elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder in the Class of 1991, and named to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Kimball's death at 96 was reported by Canadian football media on 26 September 2026, with arrangements noted through McInnis and Holloway Funeral Homes. Colleagues and later writers remembered him as the architect of Edmonton's five in a row dynasty and as a senior league executive who shaped player relations and scouting standards for a generation of CFL clubs. His Grey Cup record and hall of fame recognition remain central to how Edmonton football history is told. The Edmonton Elks organization and CFL community marked his passing as that of a franchise builder.