Ryan Rigmaiden - NOT new GM of the Montreal Alouettes

[TheLionKing]

https://www.tsn.ca/montreal-alouettes-o ... -1.1411882

[JohnnyMusso]

He was the last man standing so no surprise. No way they would go back to Jim Popp.

[JohnnyMusso]

Lions should never have fired him. Big mistake by Hervey for Torey Hunter has been a bust as his replacement.

[B.C.FAN]

Rigmaiden has turned down the Als’ GM job, according to Farhan.

[JohnnyMusso]

Clearly like the others he did not like the chain of command. Apparently the coach has last say on his roster not the GM, which is traditionally the case. They may have to rehire Jim Popp or hire Joe Mack or make Khari GM too.

[JohnnyMusso]

Red flag this job for 3 turned it down.

[Hambone]

Apparently the coach has last say on his roster not the GM, which is traditionally the case.

Could you clarify please? Are you saying traditionally it is the GM who has final say, not the coach? Or vice versa? If it's the former that would totally fly against Bob Ackles' way of operating. In his book Ackles was quite adamant that player personnel decisions were coaching decisions. Basically his job was to find them and it was the coach's job to decide who to keep.

[maxlion]

The franchise is really in trouble. They go the entire season with no owner and no GM, now well into December still no owner or GM. I would stay away too. Something needs to happen soon or next season is going to be a write off, presuming that they still have a team.

[Toppy Vann]

Clearly like the others he did not like the chain of command. Apparently the coach has last say on his roster not the GM, which is traditionally the case. They may have to rehire Jim Popp or hire Joe Mack or make Khari GM too.

It would have zero to do with the HC and a lot to do with the lack of a new owner and nothing on the horizon.

[JohnnyMusso]

Apparently the coach has last say on his roster not the GM, which is traditionally the case.

Could you clarify please? Are you saying traditionally it is the GM who has final say, not the coach? Or vice versa? If it's the former that would totally fly against Bob Ackles' way of operating. In his book Ackles was quite adamant that player personnel decisions were coaching decisions. Basically his job was to find them and it was the coach's job to decide who to keep.

I got that information from this article by Herb Z. Just read the article:



It’s no secret the Alouettes had to re-sign head coach Khari Jones once their season ended. He got the players’ attention and elevated starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to a winning level.

And if they hadn’t agreed to a new deal, it’s unlikely Jones would have remained unemployed for long, with Ottawa, B.C. and Edmonton seeking new head coaches.

But it appears the Als have boxed themselves into a corner because of this circumstance in their search for a new general manager. It’s no secret in pro sports that the owner hires the GM, and the GM then hires the coach. But the Als are without an owner and GM and, in re-signing Jones — a move that was necessary — the organization put the cart before the horse and is paying the price.

On Monday night, the Montreal Gazette learned Shawn Burke, Hamilton’s senior director of personnel/co-manager of football operations, was removing himself from consideration for the GM position. It’s also believed he was the front-runner.

On Tuesday, Danny McManus, an assistant GM with Winnipeg and director of U.S. scouting, also dropped out of the running. McManus, who has continued scouting for the Blue Bombers throughout the interview process, was put in a tenuous position, a potential conflict of interest.

Although McManus said the decision was his, he also received a call Monday night from Als president Patrick Boivin, telling him he wasn’t going to be hired.

Regardless of who made the first move, a trend is developing. Burke and McManus weren’t comfortable taking the job after they were interviewed last week in Vancouver by Boivin, Jones and Wally Buono, the B.C. Lions’ former GM and head coach, who has been retained as a consultant.

Neil McEvoy, the Lions’ director of football operations, along with Jean-Marc Edmé, Ottawa’s director of player personnel, quashed the Als’ overtures before even being granted an interview. McEvoy lives in Vancouver and Edmé once coached and scouted for Montreal.

There has to be a reason all these candidates are pulling out. The organization’s approach isn’t good and the job doesn’t appear to be appealing.

According to information obtained by the Montreal Gazette, there are a number of factors these potential candidates find unappealing.

With ownership still apparently in flux, but potentially nearing a resolution, the candidates are dealing with a team president who doesn’t have a football background and, depending on who buys the team, might be out of a job. Although if Claridge Investment Ltd. is part of the ownership mix — a company in which Boivin’s father, Pierre, is president and CEO — it’s likely Boivin would remain president.

The candidates also were told the scouting and personnel departments had already been determined — another responsibility usually left to the GM.

This might not be a problem should the Als hire Ryan Rigmaiden. He’s the Bombers’ director of college scouting and is believed to have been interviewed by the Als last week. At one time, he was the Lions’ director of U.S. scouting, so he obviously has Buono’s backing.

It’s also believed Jones wants to have the final say on game-day rosters, something generally decided by the GM.

This simply isn’t the traditional hierarchy.

Jones was hired by Boivin. Assuming Boivin remains with the team and Jones doesn’t like something the GM is mandating next season, it stands to reason Jones will usurp the GM and go directly to Boivin.

Winnipeg beat Hamilton in last month’s Grey Cup. Both those organizations are successful and figure to be strong again next season. It’s not unreasonable to think people who work for those teams would be reluctant to join the Als, who are coming off one surprising season after missing the playoffs the previous four.

While Boivin and Jones expect the Als to improve in 2020, they also might be nothing more than a one-year wonder. Also of note is Montreal’s without first-round draft choices, which were traded by former GM Kavis Reed in 2018, when the club acquired quarterback Johnny Manziel from the Tiger-Cats.

Leaving an organization with a winning tradition and a clearly defined path to jump to a team where there’s so much uncertainty takes a leap of faith.

This is why Rigmaiden, who appears to be the last man standing, might ultimately be hired. And, as a first-time GM, Boivin and Jones realize they could wield their control over him. Rigmaiden, who lives in Pinehurst, N.C., is said to have a keen eye for talent and a good network of bird-dogs to help in his search for players. But he’s virtually unknown in Montreal.

One candidate who isn’t unknown here, and continues to covet the job, is former Als GM Jim Popp. He hasn’t heard from Boivin, but remains optimistic. While Popp — who as GM spent much of his time scouting during the season — has never worked with Jones, he said he wouldn’t be standing over Jones’ shoulder micromanaging.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Als said Boivin would have no comment during the process.

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1

[cromartie]

General Manager job descriptions can differ depending on the organization.

Most likely, the red flag is the ownership situation, meaning that there isn't one.

Having said that, as a GM, if my job was dependent on the results produced based upon the talent I brought in, I don't know that I wouldn't want final roster say, either.

And while I'm no fan of Hunter, it's not like we've been parading a crop of Americans in here prior to his arrival, either.

[Dusty]

Interesting that the Montreal GM interviews were conducted in Vancouver..... They do seem to be striking out on all the candidates....

How about Wally becoming the temporary GM for 2020 season..... waiting for the sale to occur and getting the team through the year and the transition period.... Maybe he could do the job from Vancouver..... with the occasional jaunt back to Montreal..... there is really no harm to his legacy ....

[Hambone]

I will take one thing back JM re: Ackles opinion. It was made based on his own GM experiences. Ackles was last a GM in 1986. He never had to deal with the tricky juggling act that is a salary cap. Today's GM has a vested interest in roster moves because they all impact his area of responsibility, cap compliance. I can see today's GM needing to weigh in for those reasons but don't like the idea that he might dictate who plays and who sits for purely football reasons.