Agase played tight end and offensive tackle for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team from 1944 to 1947.
However, the playoff final saw Toronto upset by second-place Ottawa, who had beaten them in three of five encounters in the regular season and won both legs of the two-game series.
But a disastrous 20–2 loss in the second leg in Hamilton, setting up an overtime period in which the Tiger-Cats scored four unanswered touchdowns, sealed Agase's fate in Toronto.
The blame for this historic collapse, which recalled the 20-point blown lead in the 1960 final, was placed at the coach's door owing to some questionable play calling when Toronto had a chance to kick for a single point in the last minute of regulation time, and Agase was dismissed on August 25, 1962, after an 0–3 start to the 1962 season.
His replacement, assistant coach Nobby Wirkowski, guided Toronto to a last-place, 4-10 finish, and the team would not have another winning season until 1968.