Dan Hawkins, Head Coach of the Alouettes ...

[Toppy Vann]

Greg Marshall won't be the HC here or Ottawa I guess (unless which is likely true, they have an out clause) as he just signed on at Edmonton.



EDMONTON -- Greg Marshall and Doug Sams have returned to the Edmonton Eskimos' coaching staff.

Marshall was hired Friday as the team's defensive co-ordinator, while Sams will serve as offensive co-ordinator.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414442

[B.C.FAN]

According to News1130, Jacques Chapdelaine has turned down an interview request from the Als and is committed to staying with the Lions this year.

News1130 Sports ‏@News1130Sports
#Lions o-c Jaques Chapdelaine was asked to fly to Florida and be interviewed for Als job but said thanks but no thanks.

Chapdelaine said no to Montreal because he's committed to the Lions and Vancouver is the right "fit" for him.

Mark Washington, however, remains a candidate for head coach in Montreal and will get an interview.

[Rammer]

According to News1130, Jacques Chapdelaine has turned down an interview request from the Als and is committed to staying with the Lions this year.

News1130 Sports ‏@News1130Sports
#Lions o-c Jaques Chapdelaine was asked to fly to Florida and be interviewed for Als job but said thanks but no thanks.

Chapdelaine said no to Montreal because he's committed to the Lions and Vancouver is the right "fit" for him.

Mark Washington, however, remains a candidate for head coach in Montreal and will get an interview.

Not sure why JC would turn down that job that he is better suited for than most. An interesting development along with Washington still being in the hunt....

[David]

LU reported again yesterday that receivers coach Travis Moore remains doubtful to return as he pursues another opportunity. He was rather vague on details as to why he wants to leave (i.e. better opportunity, not happy in BC, didn't agree with Geroy and Arland leaving....). I am guessing the first one, but one never knows.


DH

[Rammer]

LU reported again yesterday that receivers coach Travis Moore remains doubtful to return as he pursues another opportunity. He was rather vague on details as to why he wants to leave (i.e. better opportunity, not happy in BC, didn't agree with Geroy and Arland leaving....). I am guessing the first one, but one never knows.


DH

While I am not shocked by either Bruce or Simon departing, I am mildly surprised that both were moved this off season. As for Moore, he did have to work with JC and I can see that dampening a receivers coach.

[JohnHenry]

I read the Als have interviewed Jim Zorn for their HC. They should jump at the chance to get Zorn, whom I think would make an excellent CFL coach. The Als could be his springboard back to the NFL. He spent one year as the Bombers backup QB and coached A. Cavillo for two years in college.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -montreal/

[WestCoastJoe]

I read the Als have interviewed Jim Zorn for their HC. They should jump at the chance to get Zorn, whom I think would make an excellent CFL coach. The Als could be his springboard back to the NFL. He spent one year as the Bombers backup QB and coached A. Cavillo for two years in college.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -montreal/

That would be interesting. I always liked Zorn, as a player, and even as a coach. Outside the box thinker. Maybe too far outside the box. Prior to Washington, I think he had not even been an OC at the NFL level.

Snyder knows business, but he has shown a huge lack of acumen in building a football team's staff and roster.

[Hawkballer 14]

According to News1130, Jacques Chapdelaine has turned down an interview request from the Als and is committed to staying with the Lions this year.

News1130 Sports ‏@News1130Sports
#Lions o-c Jaques Chapdelaine was asked to fly to Florida and be interviewed for Als job but said thanks but no thanks.

Chapdelaine said no to Montreal because he's committed to the Lions and Vancouver is the right "fit" for him.

A little bit of a shocker, as I thought that Jacques would jump at/be purrfect for the Al's Head Coaching job.

Leads me to believe that there is some fire here...

"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)

[The_Pauser]

Crap. Was hoping we could finally rid ourselves of Chapball (aka the REAL reason we lost to the Stamps, not our receivers).

[TheLionKing]

That's what makes Jim Popp successful. Thinking outside the box and not afraid of trying something new.

[Toppy Vann]

According to News1130, Jacques Chapdelaine has turned down an interview request from the Als and is committed to staying with the Lions this year.

News1130 Sports ‏@News1130Sports
#Lions o-c Jaques Chapdelaine was asked to fly to Florida and be interviewed for Als job but said thanks but no thanks.

Chapdelaine said no to Montreal because he's committed to the Lions and Vancouver is the right "fit" for him.

A little bit of a shocker, as I thought that Jacques would jump at/be purrfect for the Al's Head Coaching job.

Leads me to believe that there is some fire here...

"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)

I see nothing about influence and never understood that part of the story.

If look at Popp's record of stability in the coaching ranks you see that he is a very good judge of talent and character and can do what so many can't - look separately at performance and potential. While the past performance is a predictor, if there is a step up to a higher level, you know have to assess the fit in that changed role.

For example, in Cortez they looked at his super performance as an innovative OC and his success. They looked at Rich Stubler for his brilliance as a DC. They assumed from that that hey would be good HCs.

What they didn't look to assess accurately was these two people's understanding of the role of HC and if they could adjust to the changed role where as HC it is less about doing it yourself and your brilliance in Xs and Os versus having a vision and a plan and an ability attract and develop a team of good coaches and play a different role than as an OC or DC. (Trestman calling plays is an exception and I don't know he worked with his OC who did not call the plays - but that type of HC is not in great supply and for good reason. The Als all say that MT was meticulous in running highly planned compressed practices as he could not under the players agreement run practices like in the NFL. He was great in ALL details and it seems relations with coaches must have been okay.)

My take on Jacque C. is that from what I see as his personality and character even if he could take on the role as smoothly as Mike Benevides did in BC he might not fit with that team post Mark Trestman. His style is more in your face and might not be a fit. That GM like Wally is looking for a HC who fits their view. You cannot a GM with one philosophy of how to build a team and where your strengths are and a HC not on the same page.

I hope he can progress in coaching as I like to see Canadian coaches do well but as some have noted his style might be better as a HC at a univ. level where his style might be more effective. There are many great OCs and DCs who will never make an adjustment to be a success as HC.

MB came out of the gate speaking as the players described him - a junior Wally. If you listen to how they talk you see their priorities. MB got a good team given to him and now the challenge will be for him to keep it that way. So far, looking like a long term successful HC.

[cromartie]

I read the Als have interviewed Jim Zorn for their HC. They should jump at the chance to get Zorn, whom I think would make an excellent CFL coach. The Als could be his springboard back to the NFL. He spent one year as the Bombers backup QB and coached A. Cavillo for two years in college.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -montreal/

http://goo.gl/cdiVb

"The general manager needs to prevent the owner from hiring someone who's not qualified. And that's why Vinny is no longer here, to be truthful with you. He's not here because his job was to prevent me (Daniel Snyder) from hiring a not-qualified coach (Jim Zorn). Having said that, we went in and had the worst two-year experience I ever dreamed. I apologized, according to my wife, ten thousand times. I apologize openly. I made a big mistake. It's a terrible experience when you know you got the wrong guy to lead the franchise."

The howls of laughter from Washington DC residents upon reading your post are deafening. Still, at least the Redskins could afford to fire Zorn. That's more than Colorado could do with Hawkins. Both are terrible candidates and Popp would do well by not outthinking himself and getting someone who knows the Canadian game in there.

[JohnHenry]

I read the Als have interviewed Jim Zorn for their HC. They should jump at the chance to get Zorn, whom I think would make an excellent CFL coach. The Als could be his springboard back to the NFL. He spent one year as the Bombers backup QB and coached A. Cavillo for two years in college.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -montreal/

http://goo.gl/cdiVb

"The general manager needs to prevent the owner from hiring someone who's not qualified. And that's why Vinny is no longer here, to be truthful with you. He's not here because his job was to prevent me (Daniel Snyder) from hiring a not-qualified coach (Jim Zorn). Having said that, we went in and had the worst two-year experience I ever dreamed. I apologized, according to my wife, ten thousand times. I apologize openly. I made a big mistake. It's a terrible experience when you know you got the wrong guy to lead the franchise."

The howls of laughter from Washington DC residents upon reading your post are deafening. Still, at least the Redskins could afford to fire Zorn. That's more than Colorado could do with Hawkins. Both are terrible candidates and Popp would do well by not outthinking himself and getting someone who knows the Canadian game in there.

Redskin fans might laugh at Ron Lancaster's coaching record too, going 4-28 his first two seasons. I guess he couldn't coach either? There are several prominent NFL coaches who also had less than stellar beginnings to their careers. I was impressed with Zorn's approach to the game in Washington, getting the most out of his players with a 6-2 start. The wheels may have fallen off after that but I'd bet that wasn't solely the fault of the HC.

The owner of the Redskins sounds like a lunatic. Zorn is better off to be away from that madhouse and I think he'd make a terrific head coach/OC in the CFL.

[cromartie]

The owner of the Redskins sounds like a lunatic. Zorn is better off to be away from that madhouse and I think he'd make a terrific head coach/OC in the CFL.

After his 6-2 start, his teams went 6-18. They finished 26th in Total Offense his first year and 28th in Total Offense his second.

And no one person is to blame for every bad performance in a team game but:

The third-down playcalls, the fourth-down decisions, burning timeouts, a lack of discernible two-minute drill, poor choices on challenges and penalties; these were the hallmarks of Zorn's teams, even when they were winning. Eventually it catches up with a team though. The Redskins, who won six of Zorn's first eight games, would go on to win only six of his next 20. By September of this year, it was clear Zorn had lost the team and many (including us at Shutdown Corner) thought he should have been fired early in the year.

He's been nothing but a QB coach since, as he was nothing but a QB coach before he came to Washington save for a three year stint as an OC at Utah State in the early 1990s.

There is nothing in this guy's background that remotely qualifies him to be a CFL head coach. Nothing. Even Trestman had a successful track record of calling plays on the NFL level, and had been a Head Coaching candidate in the NCAA ranks on multiple occasions.

[274always]

Maciocia has also said 'no' to the alouettes as per Moe Khan on twitter.

In other als news, Trent Guy, Adrian McPherson and Brian Bratton have been released.