Tillman done/out

[OV Bandit]

  Sad situation really. Combine this with the Mike Kelly situation and it's a real double whammy for the CFL:  2 (in an 8 team league) key CFL decision makers (a HC & a GM) gone/fired disgraced for personal misconduct (with nefarious type overtones - regardless of the "truth" in the matters).  Not good at all.

 Wonder if either have any chance at future CFL employment? - not likely with Kelly IMO, but maybe for Tillspin? (seems to have gathered quite a bit of sympathy from some).

  Chance - yet again - for some fresh, new blood (not of the criminal DNA database type) to be hired in CFL situations.  We shall see;  I'll bet on more good ole boy recycling or else brand new, (no clue about the Canadian game or the CFL - like Bart Simpleton Andrus) American football types to get the call in TO, Winnipeg or Sask. or wherever CFL teams need new "thinkers" - sad situation there too IMO - in this supposedly "radically canadian" (sic) league.

[Green is the Colour]

It's rumoured that back to back press conferences by the Riders and Mark Cohon will see Tillman gone from the Riders and prohibited by the league from being employed by any team for a certain length of time, a suspension if you will.

The former would be no surprise, the latter seems way out there for having received an absolute discharge.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

So far, Mike Kelly is considered innocent of everything except being a PR nightmare.  He gets his day in court to determine his guilt or innocence, but given the way the season went, it's hard to imagine that he'd have teams lining up at his door to give him a chance.  In a way it's too bad, as he actually had shown to be a pretty good teacher and a decent football guy in the past, but perhaps an example of absolute power corrupting absolutely, or just plain being thrown in over his head.

Tillman, despite the non-existent sentence that was deemed appropriate from our legal system is going to have a stink on him that will take awhile to go away, even though he's proven in a number of stops to be a good CFL architect.  A league suspension (if that actually happens) would be reflective of the need to protect teams against themselves and I'd hoped that we were past that point in time, but also to prevent a number of negative optics from possibly occuring.

In keeping with his M.O., OV has come out mocking what might happen, but I note nothing stated about the type of candidate that would please him, or at least satisfy him (Is that possible to do?).   Doesn't want someone who's been there and done that in the CFL, but doesn't want an outsider either.  I'm not sure if that leaves the door open for experienced assistants like Benevides, Cortez, Marshall or LaPolice or not... as they've been around long enough to be connected with the old boys.

I could see Higgins being a viable candidate for either club in the GM role, as well as potentially Toronto if they drop the axe on Rita eventually.  I would think that Taman will get consideration due to his recent history with both clubs.  John Murphy, the interim guy in Wpg will warrant consideration there too.  Until such time as the GM-type is put in place, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to start speculating on the HC side of thing in terms of who'd fit.

[Ravi Ramkissoonsingh]

In keeping with his M.O., OV has come out mocking what might happen, but I note nothing stated about the type of candidate that would please him, or at least satisfy him (Is that possible to do?).   Doesn't want someone who's been there and done that in the CFL, but doesn't want an outsider either.  I'm not sure if that leaves the door open for experienced assistants like Benevides, Cortez, Marshall or LaPolice or not... as they've been around long enough to be connected with the old boys.

I asked OV on another site to suggest some names and he is looking for some CIS or even junior football coaches and managers to get a shot at running a CFL team.  He mentioned Doug Hocking, who has run a successful junior program, for many years now as one who should get a chance.

My concern is that running an amateur program (even an NCAA one) is different than running a professional outfit especially when you have a salary cap to deal with.  Also, do these CIS or junior people have the necessary contacts south of the border to recruit good import players or are they going to field an all-Canadian team?  Finally, I doubt that many of the long-time CIS head coaches are even interested in making a move to the CFL where they would have zero job security and no pension plan as they do now.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

The CIS is a pretty attractive place to work as a head coach.  When Leroy Blugh's name came up as a potential candidate for the Esks D-Coordinator position, someone that had played with him previously said that there was little chance he'd give up his current gig for that.  While HCs in the CFL are pretty well-paid, it's a demanding job in terms of hours and pressure and represents a huge learning curve even for those that have been around the CFL game for some time.

I don't see how the coach of a junior program would be qualified or credible as a head coach of a CFL team and would open the management up to a ton of second guessing and some job security issues of their own.

Salary-wise, you're not going to attract many NCAA head coaches, but perhaps some coordinators looking to take on the HC role, though there's very little evidence of the CFL being a career stepping stone for coaches going to the NFL.

I like the consideration of Milanovich and the rumoured speculation of Chris Jones.  Both have been with some successful teams and worked with some great head coaches.  They're also young enough to be pretty salable as a face of the franchise type guy and neither can be accused of being a "been there, done that" kind of hire.

[Ravi Ramkissoonsingh]

A year ago, Gary Etcheverry was reluctant to accept Saskatchewan's defensive coordinator position because he first wanted to pursue head coaching opportunities in the CIS.  There is simply far more security working in the CIS than there is in the CFL and little reason for someone like Brian Towriss to leave his current position.

[OV Bandit]

In keeping with his M.O., OV has come out mocking what might happen, but I note nothing stated about the type of candidate that would please him, or at least satisfy him (Is that possible to do?).   Doesn't want someone who's been there and done that in the CFL, but doesn't want an outsider either.  I'm not sure if that leaves the door open for experienced assistants like Benevides, Cortez, Marshall or LaPolice or not... as they've been around long enough to be connected with the old boys.

I asked OV on another site to suggest some names and he is looking for some CIS or even junior football coaches and managers to get a shot at running a CFL team.  He mentioned Doug Hocking, who has run a successful junior program, for many years now as one who should get a chance.

My concern is that running an amateur program (even an NCAA one) is different than running a professional outfit especially when you have a salary cap to deal with.  Also, do these CIS or junior people have the necessary contacts south of the border to recruit good import players or are they going to field an all-Canadian team?  Finally, I doubt that many of the long-time CIS head coaches are even interested in making a move to the CFL where they would have zero job security and no pension plan as they do now.

  CFL GMs or HCs can hire competent people in their personnel department (head of US scouting) to fill that need - just FYI Ravi.

  Hiring competent football people in the GM or HC department is not, IMO, an easy task or decision.  I'd be looking for people who have experience in running good, winning football teams and who are familiar with Canadian football and the Canadian Football League.  I did mention Hocking, who played for over a decade in the CFL and has helped run a powerhouse CJFL team - if you think involvement in a Junior team is simply not enough experience for the CFL, then fair enough Ravi;  i also mentioned Miles Gorrell- who has worked for the Argos for some time and been around the league for decades - as a possible Argos' GM candidate.  If you believe Bart Andrus or Joe Mack types, or recycling a clown like Taman,  are better HC or GM hires - good for you.  There's also plenty of top notch CIS football coaches &  administrators out there - Nill, Towriss, Constantin, Dobie, Sheahan, Ptazek, McGrath - to name a few.  Could well be none of these guys have any interest in leaving their CIS gigs to try the CFL IF they were considered;  could also be that none of them would get any consideration from the good ole CFL as it's made up now.  Canadian guys from the Canadian football system (the Garden Gnome or Taman types hardly qualify there IMO) maybe aren't "good enough" to lead CFL teams though - just like Canadian QBs aren't "good enough" to try out in CFL TCs;  better to leave those important positions up to Americans mostly in the good ole "radically canadian" (sic) CFL.
 

  And BTW Ravi - how's the Argos' HC replacement process shaping up? - thinking of recycling that genius Powderkeg Berry or some other good ole boy? - gee, i wish they would have given Bart Simpleton another chance - he showed so much coaching smarts last season;  oh well - Rita & Mohns types know best i guess.   I'm like you pulling for Millanovich - another seasoned CFL football "thinker" who can carry on the Argos' tradition; could Ricky Williams or Andre Rison or Dexter Manley types be signed to bolster the "talent" on the roster?

[GreatWhiteNorth]

I'd be looking for people who have experience in running good, winning football teams and who are familiar with Canadian football and the Canadian Football League. 

If you believe Bart Andrus or Joe Mack types, or recycling a clown like Taman,  are better HC or GM hires - good for you. 

Canadian guys from the Canadian football system (the Garden Gnome or Taman types hardly qualify there IMO) maybe aren't "good enough" to lead CFL teams though

Joe Mack meets the elements of your criteria quoted above, yet in the next sentence you lump him in with Andrus and not Trestman.  Mack has been involved as an architect in putting together a Grey Cup champion team, albeit in a different era of the game.  He is not part of the old boys club that you constantly harp on as lurking around every corner of the CFL game.

You then go on to denigrate two Canadian GMs that teams have put their faith in, for whatever reason determining that they don't count.  Does Wally Buono not count either?

Further proof that you're only happy when you're ranting about the conspiracies and getting spooked by what might be lurking in the shadows.

[OV Bandit]

I'd be looking for people who have experience in running good, winning football teams and who are familiar with Canadian football and the Canadian Football League. 

If you believe Bart Andrus or Joe Mack types, or recycling a clown like Taman,  are better HC or GM hires - good for you. 

Canadian guys from the Canadian football system (the Garden Gnome or Taman types hardly qualify there IMO) maybe aren't "good enough" to lead CFL teams though

Joe Mack meets the elements of your criteria quoted above, yet in the next sentence you lump him in with Andrus and not Trestman.  Mack has been involved as an architect in putting together a Grey Cup champion team, albeit in a different era of the game.  He is not part of the old boys club that you constantly harp on as lurking around every corner of the CFL game.

You then go on to denigrate two Canadian GMs that teams have put their faith in, for whatever reason determining that they don't count.  Does Wally Buono not count either?

Further proof that you're only happy when you're ranting about the conspiracies and getting spooked by what might be lurking in the shadows.

  Mack may be a decent, fairly qualified candidate, but he has a fairly limited involvement with the CFL and has been away from the Canadian game for years.

  You can't grasp what I's saying or else don't want to.  If you're good with pretty well any & all CFL decisions, then good for you.