Lions appoint Chapdelaine offensive coordinator; add one

[Lions Communications]

BC Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono announced today that Jacques Chapdelaine has been named the club's offensive coordinator. Chapdelaine will also assume the role of quarterbacks coach making way for the addition of Travis Moore to coach the team's receivers. Former offensive coordinator Dan Dorazio will remain in place as the Lions offensive line coach as will Chuck McMann as the Lions' special teams coordinator and running backs coach.

For the full story: http://bclions.com/article/lions-appoin ... hing-ranks

2010 Lions schedule: http://bclions.com/schedule/year/2010/1

[almo89]

[WestCoastJoe]

BC Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono announced today that Jacques Chapdelaine has been named the club's offensive coordinator. Chapdelaine will also assume the role of quarterbacks coach making way for the addition of Travis Moore to coach the team's receivers.

Chapdelaine is a survivor in Wally's World. At least this clears things up. When Kruck and Dorazio were co-coordinators but Chapdelaine was down on the sideline calling plays, that was a supreme mess.

"We are fortunate to add Travis to our staff at this time," added Buono. "He was very highly respected during his stay in Hamilton and he will bring a new perspective to our offense."

No stranger to head coach Wally Buono, Moore enjoyed a stellar 11-year career as a receiver in the CFL, amassing 645 receptions, 9,930 yards and 79 touchdowns with the Calgary Stampeders (1994, 1996-2002) and the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2003-05). He was a CFL and West Division All-Star three times and currently sits 14th on the CFL's all-time receiving yards list. He captured two Grey Cup championships with the Stampeders in 2001 and 1998.

Travis Moore is well-qualified as receivers coach. Some new blood in the coaching ranks is welcome.

"We're looking to fill a couple of spots on the defensive side of the ball and we have a number of candidates in mind," said Buono. "One will be as a defensive line coach and the other will serve as a defensive assistant as well helping out our player personnel department."

Barron Miles would seem to be the guy slated for D assistant.
............

Not much new here. I'm thinking the schemes on O and D will be much the same too.

I expect our O will be competitive. The big question for me will be can we get the defence on track. We were very vulnerable to the run last year, as well as being vulnerable to the pass, especially at game ends.

[Tighthead]

I wonder if Dorazio considered bolting? Lots of football coaches don't stay around when they get a demotion.

[WestCoastJoe]

I wonder if Dorazio considered bolting? Lots of football coaches don't stay around when they get a demotion.

Yeah.

Dorazio is a lifer as a coach. Settled in out Abbotsford way. As long as Wally runs the show he has a job with the Lions. I kind of suspect he was not all that comfortable as OC. And Chapdelaine certainly seemed to be OC in fact, if not in name. Tough year for Dorazio. Loses the OC spot and has a respected O Lineman (Jimenez) basically call him out for inflexibility.

All in all, for me, the coaching situation with the Lions is not very inspiring, especially on defence.

[Lionut]

Well, Jiminez was given an apple and a road map, and Dorazio is still there, so that tells you everything you need to know. Dorazio is a technician and a teacher of fundamentals first and foremost, so I don't think that giving up co-ordinating duties wouldn't faze him much.

I will always maintain that offensive coordinator is the most thankless job in football. Everyone loves to second guess you. Basically, if you ran, you should have passed, and if you passed, you should have run. When the offense breaks down, everyone jumps on the design of the offense and the play calling, when in fact it is usually execution that is to blame. Jacques Chapdelaine knows football inside and out, backwards and forwards - as a student of the game, you would be hard pressed to find anyone smarter. His problem is that he is not a particularly charismatic guy, so he just isn't that greatly beloved by fans and media. The players, however, all respect him tremendously.

[WestCoastJoe]

Well, I basically agree, Lionut. I have not been one of Chapdelaine's critics on Lionbackers. Like all CFL coaches, he works his tail off in a thankless job. His receivers certainly stand by him. When Geroy and Paris give you their loyalty that says a lot.

And it would seem that offence has not been the Lions' problem in the last 2 years. It has been our vulnerability on defence that has hurt the most.

I think our passing attack, with a variety of quarterbacks has been good. Our running attack has certainly been good.

But our defence has been very susceptible to running attacks. It has seemed that our defence is well-scouted by the opposition. Our blitzes are anticipated, and our pass defence has broken down at key times in games.

[B.C.FAN]

Well, Jiminez was given an apple and a road map, and Dorazio is still there, so that tells you everything you need to know. Dorazio is a technician and a teacher of fundamentals first and foremost, so I don't think that giving up co-ordinating duties wouldn't faze him much.

I will always maintain that offensive coordinator is the most thankless job in football. Everyone loves to second guess you. Basically, if you ran, you should have passed, and if you passed, you should have run. When the offense breaks down, everyone jumps on the design of the offense and the play calling, when in fact it is usually execution that is to blame. Jacques Chapdelaine knows football inside and out, backwards and forwards - as a student of the game, you would be hard pressed to find anyone smarter. His problem is that he is not a particularly charismatic guy, so he just isn't that greatly beloved by fans and media. The players, however, all respect him tremendously.

Coaches get too much blame when teams lose and too much credit when they win. Players play. At this level, it's execution that wins or loses games.

[Big Time]

Coaches get too much blame when teams lose and too much credit when they win. Players play. At this level, it's execution that wins or loses games.

Executing Chapdelaine is a bit extreme in my opinion but it would solve our problems with the OC.

[Tighthead]

Execution is often underappreciated, but I still say there are systemic problems with our offence.

1. Short yardage stubborness. We do not get the requisite push from our interior OL to justify the bunch formation ad nauseum. See the definition of insanity.

2. Abandonment of the running game too often and too early

3. The attrition rate of our QBs is completely off the charts. Our o line is generally decent, I believe that scheme is part of the issue with the fact that being a Lions QB is hazardous to one's health.

[Big Time]

Even during Wally's most successful seasons was the attrition rate of our QB's a problem. This again comes back to schemes, most of which were designed by the man he's just now re-handed the OC position. Has there been any season during the Wally regime where the Lions starting QB didn't have injury problems throughout the year? The best year was Casey's season in 2004, and I think that he largely succeeded because of his ability to escape hits and improvise. Is it a coincidence that more stay at home QBs like Buck Pierce or DD suffered way more injuries due to their inability to escape? I think the problem on schemes has been present for a lot longer than just the last couple of years, and there's no reason to think things will change moving forward. Wally's eye for QB and RB talent has really saved this team over the years, but unless they change some of the schemes up, they will need to go into a season three or four deep at each position to be successful.

[B.C.FAN]

According to LU, Barron Miles retired today to take the defensive coaching assistant position. The duties seem vague, but I'm sure he'll make a good coach.

Moore, Miles added to Lions staff

[WestCoastJoe]

... the main reason our QB's keep getting injured is they hang on to the ball to long...and don't hook slide after the 1st down is gained (DD and Buck). If the offencive scheme has no backs in to block, the QB must get rid of it quickly, not wait on some slow developing play long downfield. If you want to see how to operate a CFL quick passing attack, just watch Joe Zuger in the '67 Grey Cup...not much chance for the QB to get injured in that offence:

Oh yeah. Totally agree.

Anthony Calvillo gets rid of it quickly too. And Danny McManus was a master at it. The last second throw.

Dave and Buck would virtually refuse to get rid of the ball out of bounds, and would seemingly rather take the sack than throw it away. As you point out, they would also not use the Hook Slide (I call it the Staubach Slide).

[Hawkballer 14]

And this one cat in the States has made a pretty decent career of releasing the ball before defenses get to him. Peyton something, I think his name is?