Head Coach - Lions announce Jeff Tedford as 2015 HC

[The_Pauser]

Watched the video and it seems titled incorrectly. There's nothing in there about Hufnagel becoming the next coach of the BC Lions.

[South Pender]

Here's a possible reason why Buono did not relinquish the head coach to John Hufnagel, Buono was chasing the all time winningest coach held by Don Matthews. Just throwing it out for discussion.

Well, that's a possibility, but I wouldn't be too critical of Wally for continuing to coach the Lions in 2007. At that time, he was 57 and undoubtedly felt that he had a lot of football coaching left in him. It's pure speculation that Wally stayed until he was 61 simply to pick up the record of most wins by a coach in the CFL. Most professionals are well within their most productive years at age 57. John Hufnagel is still coaching at age 63 and shows no signs (yet) of wanting to give it up. Tom Higgins is 60 and presumably planning to continue to coach the Alouettes. So it's just not right to say that Wally should have left coaching at age 57 because Hufnagel may have been available then, and that not doing so meant blowing a chance to land a good coach. How many 57-year-olds on this forum would leave a good job at which they have been very successful just because another guy one year younger than them might (and I emphasize might) do a better job? Wally did leave coaching when he was 61--younger than Hufnagel is now.

As for Scott Milanovich--if he's the other guy that Wally blew it by not hiring--he didn't have an overwhelmingly unambiguous record of success (given that he worked under Trestman in Montreal, and it might have been Trestman--more than Milanovich--who was responsible for the Alouettes' offensive success) when he became available in 2012; nor, in my opinion anyway, has he had great success as HC in Toronto, going 28-26 in the regular season (vs. Mike Benevides' 33-21) despite having the best quarterback in the CFL. I know, I know, he had to deal with a lot of injuries this year, when he went 8-10 (with the best QB in the CFL), but I haven't seen the same justification advanced for Benevides despite losing his No. 1 quarterback. I'm not attempting to pump up Benevides in this (and I'm glad he's being replaced), just pointing out that we can't be selective when we resort to the injuries defense. If we subtract 2014 from Milanovich's record (the year for which the injuries defense has been advanced), he's still only 55.5% for 2012+2013 vs. Benevides' 61.1% over the three years.

[The_Pauser]

That scenario is not as crazy as it sounds. I get the feeling that Hufnagel is still very much interested in coaching. The longer he remains in Calgary as HC the more likelihood of Dave Dickenson leaving for greener pasture despite all the talk about a succession plan.

Sure, but he's not going to leave his job as GM of the Stampeders to come here and work as the coach under Wally Buono. It's not going to happen, and I"m not sure why people are even discussing it. The video on the province was mistitled. If you watch the video they don't even mention Hufnagel to BC as a possibility.

[TheLionKing]

Here's a possible reason why Buono did not relinquish the head coach to John Hufnagel, Buono was chasing the all time winningest coach held by Don Matthews. Just throwing it out for discussion.

Well, that's a possibility, but I wouldn't be too critical of Wally for continuing to coach the Lions in 2007. At that time, he was 57 and undoubtedly felt that he had a lot of football coaching left in him. It's pure speculation that Wally stayed until he was 61 simply to pick up the record of most wins by a coach in the CFL. Most professionals are well within their most productive years at age 57. John Hufnagel is still coaching at age 63 and shows no signs (yet) of wanting to give it up. Tom Higgins is 60 and presumably planning to continue to coach the Alouettes. So it's just not right to say that Wally should have left coaching at age 57 because Hufnagel may have been available then, and that not doing so meant blowing a chance to land a good coach. How many 57-year-olds on this forum would leave a good job at which they have been very successful just because another guy one year younger than them might (and I emphasize might) do a better job? Wally did leave coaching when he was 61--younger than Hufnagel is now.

Not implying at all that Buono should have retired at 57. Just responding to other posters that Buono missed the ship on hiring bright minds such as Hufnagel and others by offering a plausible reason why he chose to stay on as coach.

[Toppy Vann]

Just a thought on Wally's comments about Garcia and his not being an x's a o's guy. Could it be possible that Wally was using that term in a different sense than it has been used in this thread? It's certainly true that a QB has to know the plays inside and out--what he needs to be doing along with what the other players should be doing--and to carry the plays out as scripted. And I think we can be sure that Garcia, having considerable success as a QB at the highest level, was good at that. However, being able to understand plays and carry them out does not necessarily correlate highly with being an innovative and clever designer of plays, or being able to change tactics when needed. So perhaps Wally meant the latter quality: a clever, innovative offensive mind that can beat opponents by designing plays each week in anticipation of the next opponent--something that we've seen in spades with Marc Trestman. It's hard to know whether Garcia has ever been involved in the kind of strategic game-planning that might be Wally's understanding of x's and o's. In his playing days, the plays would have been sent in to Garcia by the OC, and he did carry them out well for the most part, but although effective at executing plays, does he have the offensive mind that can out-fox opponents by designing or adapting plays innovatively as the need arises?

It might be that Wally doesn't see Garcia as a leader. You can have confidence like he does and be a lousy leader. Benny started with a lot of confidence and that works only so much. It has to be backed up.

I think of the two personalities - Dave D or Jeff G. that the latter might be a stronger in leadership from the volume side but that doesn't matter as much as whether any or both of them know how to structure a coaching staff - instill a coherent culture supported by assistants and work with the GM and staff to put a high performing team on the field.

As HC let's hope the next coach of the BC Lions doesn't think he can be HC and OC. I think Trestman errs in the NFL doing this. It also means the HC goes if the O stalls/fails.

Quite frankly the role of HC is different than the role of OC in how you coach and two jobs in 1 is what Lapo wanted and while he rode Buck to the GC he was stubborn in play calling.

It might be that Wally just tossed that out there to not start a push to a candidate without a search.

I'm waiting to hear what his search strategy and process will be as Wally is a rookie at this HC selection business having selected two HCs - him and Junor Wally and he is batting just 50% for getting it right.

Lapo is still in my view a not known quantity.

[WestCoastJoe]

Watched the video and it seems titled incorrectly. There's nothing in there about Hufnagel becoming the next coach of the BC Lions.

"Is Stampeders' Head Coach John Hufnagel B.C. bound?"

Seems like a misleading headline.

Lowell Ullrich speaking with Jonathan MacDonald ...

Hufnagel's future. He was asked if there is "a succession plan" for the Head Coaching job with the Calgary Stampeders. And if the outcome of Sunday's game might have an impact on that. Hufnagel answered: "It might have."

LU speculates that a win for Calgary is the exit strategy Hufnagel is thinking about. And that Calgary needs that win in order to keep Dave Dickenson.

I agree with Pauser. This speculation is about Dave D leaving Calgary, not Hufnagel. Dave D is finishing year 1 of a 3 year contract.

LU says "money talks." "If the Lions made an unquestionably great offer, Dickenson would have to listen to that." "The Dave card has to played out (by the Lions)."

[South Pender]

It might be that Wally doesn't see Garcia as a leader. You can have confidence like he does and be a lousy leader. Benny started with a lot of confidence and that works only so much. It has to be backed up.

I think of the two personalities - Dave D or Jeff G. that the latter might be a stronger in leadership from the volume side but that doesn't matter as much as whether any or both of them know how to structure a coaching staff - instill a coherent culture supported by assistants and work with the GM and staff to put a high performing team on the field.

As HC let's hope the next coach of the BC Lions doesn't think he can be HC and OC. I think Trestman errs in the NFL doing this. It also means the HC goes if the O stalls/fails.

Quite frankly the role of HC is different than the role of OC in how you coach and two jobs in 1 is what Lapo wanted and while he rode Buck to the GC he was stubborn in play calling.

It might be that Wally just tossed that out there to not start a push to a candidate without a search.

I'm waiting to hear what his search strategy and process will be as Wally is a rookie at this HC selection business having selected two HCs - him and Junor Wally and he is batting just 50% for getting it right.

Lapo is still in my view a not known quantity.

Well, that's right. And one model would be the OC being the strategic and tactical thinker, and the HC being the administrator/manager who is a great motivator. With a clever and innovative game-planner and in-game strategist as the OC, we don't necessarily need this duplicated by the HC. In such a case, an inspirational, highly-credible, and disciplined HC who is not an x's and o's guy might be optimal. I guess the problem with this scenario might be that, by hiring the HC first (as that motivational leader), he might, in turn, fail to hire a sufficiently clever OC.

[sj-roc]

"Is Stampeders' Head Coach John Hufnagel B.C. bound?"

Seems like a misleading headline.

Betteridge's law at work here.
Although technically he is BC bound as his team has a game to play here on Sunday.

[South Pender]

Not implying at all that Buono should have retired at 57. Just responding to other posters that Buono missed the ship on hiring bright minds such as Hufnagel and others by offering a plausible reason why he chose to stay on as coach.

Right, TLK. I didn't mean to suggest that you were implying that. I was really picking up on what seems to be a recurring theme on this forum (not one you were expressing) that Wally was remiss in not hiring John Hufnagel in 2007. Sure, he could have fired himself as coach, I suppose, but it's just not reasonable to expect a successful guy like Buono to give up what he loved, had the competitive juices flowing for, and was successful at, at age 57. As I said, what 57-year-old on this forum who had a job he loved and at which he was very successful would say, "Well, OK. Here's a guy who's 56 (one year younger than me) and he is undoubtedly a successful guy, so I'd better retire so he can have my job."

[WestCoastJoe]

Back in 2007, Wally did what most anybody would do, at his age, with energy and interest left in the tank. He kept both jobs. But it does seem that Hufnagel was available, consulting with us, and some fans were disappointed we did not keep Hufnagel in the fold. If it took giving him the Head Coaching job, that would have suited some fans just fine. It was not going to happen. Everybody knows that.

It seems to some fans that we might have been able to keep Dave Dickenson in our organization, pretty much the way Calgary did, after we let him go. Finish his quarterbacking career. Move on to coaching. Did not happen.

One could surmise that it was Wally's plan all along to eventually give the Head Coaching job to his protégé, Mike Benevides.

So some got away. Timing. Various motivations. Just the way the cookie crumbles. But some got away.

And here we are today. Twelve years into Wally's regime. Some would say we are in kind of a shambles, despite our 9 and 9 record. No Head Coach. Benevides fired after year one of the new three year contract. Uncertain prospects out there. Wally with no demonstrated success in bringing in a solid successor. As GM his one Head Coach hiring did not work out as he had hoped. Quarterback roster pretty shaky, for a variety of reasons. As Lowell Ullrich noted, we have a long to-do list.

For a while Wally had our Lions positioned such that some in the media called us the flagship of the league. That time is past. We have won two Cups in Wally's time here. Pretty good. But so did Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Montreal and Toronto. No real dominance from us. From 2007 through 2014, we won one Cup, one in 8 years, par for the course in an 8-team league (now 9 of course). And that win in 2011 was something of a miracle.

Wally has his loyal fans. And he has something of a Teflon shield, hard-earned and warranted by his long record of success. But some fans do see things they wish to comment on, as they hold the future of this franchise close to their hearts. As do we all.

We move on from here. It sure as heck will not be easy. We support our team. As players change, as staff from top to bottom changes, our support continues on. And some of us comment on stuff others do not wish to hear.

It is pretty obvious this next hiring is crucial. We will see how that goes ...

[Toppy Vann]

The thought that Hufnagel exits as HC to keep Dave D is incredibly naive thinking as no one is about to stop doing what they like to do to let someone else take it on.

If he decides to step down as HC it will be for his own reasons.

Wally and Benny spun the removal of Stubler to keep Washington and it's spin.

There is a huge part of me that suggests Dave D is not that driven to be a HC that he'd even want to work for Wally. But he seems to have a good working rapport with Hufnagel and they both say the same things about players in the news. But unlike Junior Wally, no one i have heard says Dave is Junior John Hufnagel.

He is not all about the money and he seems to have managed his pro career and money pretty well. I am sure he is well paid by OC standards.
Ambition he might have but he is not one to let himself be consumed by it.

[dupsdell1]

Braley has lengthy meetings schedule with prez Dennis Skulsky and gm Wally Buono tomorrow in Vancouver. #BCLions

Braley also to go over the list of potential owners for the #BCLions with Skulsky and Bouno. #BCLions

Just talked with Jeff Garcia and he says yes, he would love to be in the running for the #BCLions coaching vacancy.
Garcia says he has a very positive history with gm Wally Buono, says he would be a coach who is an extension of Wally.


These are all tweets from 1130 am sports Vancouver do not know if these have been listed or not.

[notahomer]

Watched a Hufnagel interview yesterday and he clearly outlines how he's used Buono as a mentor and template for building a solid organization. And the kinds of things I'm guess he means are the kinds of things Buono obviously wants to 'tighten up' via the next head coach and his own work (Buono's).

A simple thing for ex. that sometimes gets chatted about here is 'how we practice'. I frequently hear the teams that practice best are the ones more likely to win. IOW, practice like how you are going to play. Obviously that has some limitations, as you don't need to have major injuries due to having FULL CONTACT practice whenever possible but it makes sense that a team that is unfocussed during practice will probably not be ready come game time, I'm betting....

[WestCoastJoe]

Watched a Hufnagel interview yesterday and he clearly outlines how he's used Buono as a mentor and template for building a solid organization. And the kinds of things I'm guess he means are the kinds of things Buono obviously wants to 'tighten up' via the next head coach and his own work (Buono's).

A simple thing for ex. that sometimes gets chatted about here is 'how we practice'. I frequently hear the teams that practice best are the ones more likely to win. IOW, practice like how you are going to play. Obviously that has some limitations, as you don't need to have major injuries due to having FULL CONTACT practice whenever possible but it makes sense that a team that is unfocussed during practice will probably not be ready come game time, I'm betting....

Good points, nota.

They used to say that Paul Brown ran well organized, fast-paced practices. Boom, Boom. Done. Not slogging for three hours, more like 90 minutes. And they don't have to be hard hitting. Bum Phillips with the Oilers really got away from killing each other in practice. That seems standard in football these days. Save it for games.

I hear Chris Jones in Edmonton wants his practices to be very fast-paced. Practice the way you want to play. I have not seen his practices. For us, it seems to me there is much standing around. Guys even sitting on the benches. Not fast-paced at all. Well organized though, in terms of having it all planned out.

..........

Yes, Wally certainly knows how to build a solid organization. Where the Lions under Buono have fallen behind, IMO, is in a couple of areas:

* Xs and Os of offence and defence. His philosophy is conservative. Play it safe. That can hardly cut It these days, with aggressive, sharp Xs and Os coaches all over the place.

* Loyalty to staff can be a double-edged sword. It can build, but it can also stagnate. It seems clear to me that our staff stagnated. O Line and STs especially. And then we fired two coordinators with much success on their resumes: Jacques Chapdelaine and Rich Stubler. Pretty hard to replace those guys and get top results. And then the loyalty of promoting his protégé, whose resume certainly looked underwhelming.
...........

Just IMO, ...

[rb]

Definitely, you can't train really hard and play your best at the same time. Especially the older guys. That's why off-season conditioning is so important.

During the season, the emphasis should be on skills, strategy and execution. Players need to recover between games, not beat each other to a pulp or be run ragged during midweek practices.