Dan Hawkins, Head Coach of the Alouettes ...

[Blitz]

I would prefer to see Travis Moore as our Offensive Coordinator if JC leaves...and I am not unhappy that Cortez signed with the Riders...Cortez is a spread offence guy and that offence is past its due date...plus Cortez was a jerk as a HC in Hamilton...in my view anyway.

I don't understand why Washington would want to go to Montreal as a defensive secondary coach when he has the same position here and working under Stubler. However, if he did leave us we should be asking permission to talk to Barrin Miles, who I was so disappointed to see leave us.

However, should JC leave and the rumour of Travis Moore not coming back be true it would leave us in quite a tough spot offensively.

[B.C.FAN]

But he messed up in Edmn it seems and Ricky Ray seemed to consider him a joke with his day before game practicing of hand signals. For a class guy like Ray that was not the most glowing endorsement and rumours seemed to suggest that his personality didn't fit.

Despite openly grumbling about having to learn a new offence, and JC's hand signals, Ray was having a career year in 2007 when he was injured and missed the last five and a half games of the season. He had a career-best 69.9% completion percentage that year and was on pace for well over 5,000 yards and 30 TDs, with a passer rating of 101.6, third highest of his career. If Ray had stayed healthy, JC's tenure in Edmonton might have ended differently.

[Toppy Vann]

Chris Jones takes himself out of the running!

Dave Naylor tweets that Jones and Milanovich got extended but still no Jim Barker extension and he is the architect and brought these guys in. Not sure if there is anything to read into that unless they eventually wanted to make SM the GM too (but how would that conversation get going as the GM is Jim Barker).

ARGONAUTS SIGN DC CHRIS JONES TO CONTRACT EXTENSION
Jan. 22

TORONTO -- Chris Jones is staying put.

After being considered for the Montreal Alouettes head-coaching vacancy, Jones signed a contract extension Tuesday to remain the Toronto Argonauts defensive co-ordinator, assistant GM and assistant head coach.

"I would like to thank the Montreal Alouettes organization, especially Bob Wetenhall and Jim Popp, for their consideration," Jones said in a statement. "After some deliberation, it became apparent that Toronto was the best place for me.

While Jones is no longer up for the Montreal job, a league source requesting anonymity said Tuesday the Alouettes have received permission to speak to Argos special-teams coach Mike O'Shea and new offensive co-ordinator Marcus Brady -- a former Alouettes assistant -- about their head-coaching vacancy.

But he messed up in Edmn it seems and Ricky Ray seemed to consider him a joke with his day before game practicing of hand signals. For a class guy like Ray that was not the most glowing endorsement and rumours seemed to suggest that his personality didn't fit.

Despite openly grumbling about having to learn a new offence, and JC's hand signals, Ray was having a career year in 2007 when he was injured and missed the last five and a half games of the season. He had a career-best 69.9% completion percentage that year and was on pace for well over 5,000 yards and 30 TDs, with a passer rating of 101.6, third highest of his career. If Ray had stayed healthy, JC's tenure in Edmonton might have ended differently.

Good points but those years before and after Ray was getting yards but not winning the big prize. There were some real negatives that possibly JC has learned from and grown. However we just need to look at other failed HCs like George Cortez who didn't have the right style for HC.

I believe Ray got hurt in week 14 so missed 4 and 1/2 games as they didn't make the playoffs and this story I am quoting shows they scored just 399 points their lowest since 1998 going 5-12-1 with just 1 win and 9 losses against Western teams to finish 4th in the west. Ricky was moving the ball but they weren't scoring. It was not just his fault as the Danny Macioca era showed overall as his record was less than stellar before and after JC.

I think JC was the fall guy for the HC who should have been fired but of course that would have taken JC out as OC too typically.

He was brought into the Esks to eventually become HC but it didn't work out. I assume he has learned a lot since then and has seen how MB has adjusted but these guys are very different personality types.

This is more how I recall the ending of JC there:

Eskimos in need of a complete house cleaning

Jacques Chapdelaine did not have tire tracks on his back Monday, which only means the team bus is late.

By CanWest News Service November 6, 2007


For now, Chapdelaine appears to be their prime goat, though perhaps not the only one. As the Eskimos cleaned out their lockers Monday he said wants to come back, but you may have noticed a stunning lack of corporate support for him in recent weeks.

LeLacheur has gone to bat for Maciocia and director of player personnel Paul Jones. Maciocia has defended Jones. Starting quarterback Ricky Ray has spoken up for Maciocia. Nobody of any import has come to Chapdelaine's defence in anything but a lacklustre way. On Monday, for instance, Maciocia reiterated his opinion of Chapdelaine's work as "pretty good."

Chapdelaine is always demanding and occasionally crude, which has apparently rubbed LeLacheur the wrong way and that's not good for job security. His intricate offensive system leaves no room for error so he does not suffer fools gladly, and goodness knows there were enough of those passing through here.

And it may someday feel as if he was never openly mocked by the Eskimos after he was fired in November.

"In a way, that was so funny. The day before a game you'd see Jacques rehearsing his hand signals," Esks quarterback Ricky Ray told the Edmonton Sun.

[cromartie]

The scuttlebutt appears to be that Jones and Popp don't like each other very much, for unstated reasons.

[WestCoastJoe]

As I have stated a number of times, I would much prefer that JC stay with us, the Lions.

I also believe that he could be a very good Head Coach.

But moving to a different team as HC could be tricky. When he went to Edmonton as prospective future HC, it seems he went in hard, my way, without trying to blend in with the existing culture. It seems that JC did not win the loyalty of Ricky Ray in Edmonton (or Danny Maciocia). That spelled doom, especially when the playoffs did not result. He was scapegoated as Maciocia survived.

It is tricky. A new HC has every right to want to do it his way. But they have to win the loyalty of the troops. JC certainly won the loyalty of key Lions in his years here: Dickenson, Geroy, Clermont, Reid, et cetera. If he went to Montreal he would have to win the loyalty of Anthony Calvillo. And this after Calvillo had a very special relationship with Marc Trestman.

So,

1 I prefer JC stays with us, for selfish reasons.

2 If he goes to Montreal as HC, he has to find a way to win the loyalty of the troops, not necessarily an easy task.

[274always]

Looks like Frere Jacques will be staying put. Four candidates seem left on the list and Maciocia is on it.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/H ... story.html

[Rammer]

Looks like Frere Jacques will be staying put. Four candidates seem left on the list and Maciocia is on it.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/H ... story.html

One can hope that Maciocia wins out, but he doesn't fit Propps no CFL HC experience....or does he?

If Chaps stays, it means that Geroy will have a ton of info for the Riders DC.

[cromartie]

Dan Hawkins is a gigantic joke. I almost hope the Als hire him just so I can watch that entire team go down in flames. How anyone can look at his work driving the Colorado program into the ground and consider him a HC prospect is beyond me.

[Toppy Vann]

I did see the Als owner toss out the bilingual coach but these insiders say these other guys are the list.

There is a huge difference between how Jim Popp and Wally Buono and WB thinks kind of like how Alec Ferguson of Man United thinks on local home grown coaches. Wally believes in the development and promotion of Canadian or CFL coaches who were here in the CFL and deserve a promotion. Popp has that less on top of his list as criteria. I make the Buono parallel to Ferguson as both have been outspoken on this issue. I remember the Bombers approached the Line Coach I think it was for Bud Grant of the Vikings some years back before Murphy and he ripped the Bombers in the media for two things:
1. he had been out of the CFL for some years.
2. the CFL had coaches that deserved those HC jobs and I think he even named guys like Cal Murphy.

Hawkins might have been a decent coach but he did not do much at Colorado.

[Blitz]

In reading sports sections out of Montreal there is no confirmation that Chapdelaine is out of the running but it sure doesn't sound as if he is in the mix right now.

Chapdelaine has had his difficulties working with other coaches on the offensive side of the football in the past, except for Dorazio. Of course we had the Burratto fiascso in 2004, when Burratto remained as offensive coordinor in title but was punted to the press box for the last third of the season. Burratto and Chapdelaine were like sandpaper rubbing against each other. Macciocia and Chapdelaine did not see eye to eye during Chap;s stint in Edmonton. Assistants Kruck and Baresi were removed from the fold. Travis Moore could leave. Buono chose Benevedes over Chapdelaine as Head Coach even though Chapdelaine had served as a coordinator under Wally for a longer period of time than Benevedes. It indicates that Chap is not the easiest guy to work with.

However, I will be happy if Chap stays in B.C. His motion/misdirection offence, which replaced his spread offence part way though the 2010 season, has been a treat overall to watch, after so many seasons of predictable offence, with an ineffectie running attack, a pocket passing scheme that was predictable as well as making our quarterbacks sitting ducks. The new motion/spread offence is dynamic, features a dynamic running attack, and moves the quarterback around much more. The play action, off misdirection, has really been an asset to Lulay and our passing attck.

Having Chap back wil bring consistency, allow Lulay to refine his game, and assist our young recievers, who have learned the offence. A new offensive coordinator, with a new philosophy and different structure and strategies would put us behind.

Our Leos also might be looking for a quarterback coach next season. With a runnning backs, receivers, and quarterback coach, as well, it would enable our quarterbacks to get special attention for a position that needs it.

The off-season is proving interesting so far, with more to come.

[Hawkballer 14]

"Also, if Popp goes outside the CFL, he’ll have much more influence, should that be his mandate. An outsider wouldn’t know the league or the game, being forced to lean on Popp". (courtesy Herb Zurkowsky)

This section really raised my eyebrows...

The Hamilton HC position has yet to be filled, IIRC. Jacques has experience in building a program virtually from scratch (see Laval)...

[cromartie]

The Hamilton HC position has yet to be filled, IIRC. Jacques has experience in building a program virtually from scratch (see Laval)...

I feel forgotten already.

Sincerely,

Kent Austin

[Toppy Vann]

"Also, if Popp goes outside the CFL, he’ll have much more influence, should that be his mandate. An outsider wouldn’t know the league or the game, being forced to lean on Popp". (courtesy Herb Zurkowsky)

This section really raised my eyebrows...

The Hamilton HC position has yet to be filled, IIRC. Jacques has experience in building a program virtually from scratch (see Laval)...

I read that too and almost thought before I read the sentence to the end that Zurkowsky was about to say something like this:

Also, if Popp goes outside the CFL, he’ll have much more influence, should that be his objective be to get himself to the NFL as a GM.

I am not sure Popp needs to have more influence as he seemed to work well with Trestman and he has served very, very well with good stability and results at the HC position and a terrific long serving all star QB. Now he needs to stay full time in MTL and fill that little stadium.

What I found more interesting was Wetenall the Als owner saying that he would make the decision. Might be nothing in it at all as Popp has always made it clear that he speaks to the owner on these matters the same as the Lions would speak to David Braley on a new HC. However, I'd not expect Braley to say "I will decide..."

Team owner Bob Wetenhall said in a statement that the criteria for the new coach were to strive for a winning team, to be involved in the community and to work at "institutionalizing the franchise in Montreal.

"In this process we are paying special attention to reviewing possible candidates from Quebec as well as other candidates from Canada, especially those who are bilingual," he added. "In the end, I will select the candidate whom I believe is best qualified to continue with our mission."

Reports have said bilingual candidates may include former Edmonton Eskimos coach and GM and current University of Montreal coach Danny Maciocia, Laval University coach Glen Constantin and B.C. Lions offensive co-ordinator Jacques Chapdelaine.

Quite frankly this is good PR value and I believe that Popp on the radio was right - they want the right guy who fits their needs regardless of language.

But the story also says this too so I think the owner and his GM are in synch and work very well:

Wetenhall and Popp worked together to find the Alouettes' last two coaches, Don Matthews and Trestman.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/s ... coach.html

[Hawkballer 14]

I feel forgotten already.

Sincerely,

Kent Austin

Oops...my bad.

[274always]

Dan Hawkins is a gigantic joke. I almost hope the Als hire him just so I can watch that entire team go down in flames. How anyone can look at his work driving the Colorado program into the ground and consider him a HC prospect is beyond me.

True but remember Trestman was fired from NCState prior to his arrival in Montreal. He was a consultant with the Saints then no one in football would touch him. Popp will sell Dan the virtues of coming to Montreal. He was considered one of the most promising college football coaches and was considered for Notre Dame. He went to Colorado when people warned him not to. We could straighten him out here as we did Trestman with the right surroundings. Besides he is Catholic which fits well in Quebec. Unfortunately he is a GWBush lookalike which will go not as well.