Larry MacDougal/CFL.ca
We’re just over two weeks removed from the 107th Grey Cup presented by Shaw, yet it feels like we’ve already had an entire off-season of news. Nowhere has that been more evident than on the coaching carousel, which just happens to be spinning at a breakneck pace.
Since Winnipeg’s Grey Cup win, we’ve seen two coaching vacancies filled, another open up, and a high profile hire at offensive coordinator. The crazy thing is, we might not even be done, because questions exist to varying degrees about the status of a pair of other coaching staffs.
Ever since the Toronto Argonauts brought in Pinball Clemons as general manager, the future of Corey Chamblin has looked somewhat murky. Pinball has been on the job for just over a month and is undergoing an extensive evaluation of the entire organization. That includes a very highly thought of head coach, but also a guy that wasn’t hired by Pinball.
“It’s a process here,” Pinball said upon being introduced. “You don’t want to go through a difficult season like this and not learn from it. We want to be a professional organization that does the right things time and time again. That’s why process is so important here, that’s why we do need to take the time and learn from the mistakes.”
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Now, Pinball could very well determine Chamblin is the right guy for the job, in which case this is a moot point. Until that decision is made and announced, though, Toronto’s coaching situation will remain in the “uncertain” column.
Mike O’Shea’s future is less uncertain and more unresolved as it stands right now. The head coach of the Bombers doesn’t have a contract for next season, but suggested the chances of that changing are “pretty high” a couple weeks ago. The only guy I expect to be Winnipeg’s head coach in 2020 is O’Shea, but until it’s official, well, it’s not official.
With those two situations to be determined, plenty already has been figured out. Paul LaPolice is the most recent familiar name to land in a new spot with his introduction in Ottawa scheduled for Monday. I’m happy to see LaPolice get another shot as a head coach, because the guy has done nothing but earn a second chance.
LaPolice had almost two decades of coaching experience, including 10 years in the CFL, before getting his first shot as head coach. Despite a trip to the Grey Cup, LaPolice’s tenure as head coach of the Bombers lasted only three seasons, which was followed by three years on television, completely out of the coaching ranks.
I’m not sure if it was hard for LaPolice or not, but I know it would be difficult for me to go back to an employer I was fired by. Well, that’s exactly what LaPolice did in 2016 when he returned to the Bombers as offensive coordinator under O’Shea.
What followed was impressive: four straight playoff appearances, a Grey Cup win, and another shot at being a head coach. I don’t know how LaPolice will fare with the REDBLACKS, but I do know he’s done his time and 100 per cent earned this opportunity.
I’m also really happy for Jason Maas, even if this off-season has likely been a kick in the gut. After being fired as head coach in Edmonton, Maas landed on his feet last week as offensive coordinator with the Riders.
It might have been time for Maas and the Eskimos to part ways, but no one can deny how advanced this guy’s offensive mind is. It’s no coincidence Mike Reilly’s three 5,500-yard seasons came in the three season Maas was his head coach. Trevor Harris, on the other hand, was on pace to shatter career highs before getting injured in his only year working with Maas as his head coach.
Cody Fajardo made huge strides in 2019 and turned himself into a really good starting quarterback. If I’m a Riders fan, I’m beyond excited to see what Fajardo and Maas can do working together in 2020.
Oh, and while it feels like months ago, it was only a week ago when the first coaching shoe dropped. The BC Lions introduced Rick Campbell as their new head coach last Monday, which ended, oh, about a month of unemployment; Campbell stepped away in Ottawa at the end of the regular season.
It’s hard to not be excited about Campbell if you’re a Lions fan. Campbell’s resume with the REDBLACKS was littered with Grey Cup appearances, including a win over Calgary in 2016. Overall, Ottawa made three trips to the Grey Cup and four playoff appearances in six seasons under Campbell, which is extremely noteworthy as an expansion team.
Campbell started what has been a rapid moving coaching carousel that isn’t done spinning yet. Not only do questions exist in Toronto and Winnipeg, there’s also an Edmonton vacancy to take care off. You can bet this won’t be the last coaching-themed article.
Start checking them off
If you go check out CFL.ca’s official 2020 free agent tracker, you’ll see a lot of blank space on the right side under “status.” That’s understandable, because the off-season is still very much in its infancy. And yet, we’re starting to see more and more news pop up when you scroll down.
We’ve already seen a few big names come off the board, including linebacker Bear Woods in Toronto. The Argos are hoping Woods can return to his 2017 form, and frequency, after playing in seven games combined the last two seasons.
The Stamps have checked off a couple potential free agents, too, with a pair of important defensive veterans signed up for 2020. Derek Wiggan came first after a breakout season, while Jamar Wall signed on a couple days later after a resurgent 2019. And, after a promising but limited showing this season, the Lions have showed faith in Brandon Rutley by bringing him back for 2020.
It’s only a smattering of names right now, but one of my favourite off-season activities is tracking players as they get signed. It’s cool to see how teams are building their roster for the coming year, and it’s also fun to get a picture of how the February free agent list is going to shape up.
