Richie Hall has eight games left to make a favourable impression on Edmonton Eskimos’ new general manager Eric Tillman and save his job as head coach.
It would take nothing short of a miracle for that to happen.
Hall had a 9-10 record last year in his first year as head coach, including a playoff loss.
This year he is last in the league with a 2-8 record.
The record suggests Hall has done a lousy job.
But there is still eight games left to do something and Tillman is competitive enough that he will try to equip Hall with players to help the team make the playoffs.
That said, Hall is as good as gone.
Tillman had two opportunities to hire Hall as the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders while he was that team’s general manager.
Tillman joined the Roughriders in August, 2006 after his predecessor—Roy Shivers—was let go for failing to fire head coach Danny Barrett.
Barrett did well enough to remain with the team, but Tillman only offered him a one-year deal. Barrett took that as a sign Tillman really didn’t want him badly enough, so he decided to look elsewhere.
Hall, a respected defensive co-ordinator who had been passed over numerous times by teams in the CFL as a head coach, was available. Tillman did a North American search and hired Kent Austin, who had been fired as the Toronto Argonauts’ offensive co-ordinator mid-way through the 2006 season.
Austin had never been a head coach before and had a checkered reputation in Saskatchewan for leaving the team he once quarterbacked. It was speculated Austin’s wife didn’t want to live there anymore, but whatever the reason, Austin took the heat for leaving to sign with B.C. and fans had their chance to exact their anger by paying $1 apiece to take a sledgehammer and whack a beat-up Austin Mini.
Such is life.
Austin would guide the Roughriders to a Grey Cup win, but then left to take a job with his college alma-mater at Ole Miss.
Tillman did not stand in his way and he took heat for it.
Once again he did a search and this time he hired Ken Miller, who had been on Austin’s staff. Miller had never been a head coach at the pro level.
Last year, Edmonton needed a coach and hired Hall, which was considered a great move.
It has not worked out that way.
So if Tillman had two chances to sign Hall and didn’t do it then, he’s as good as gone now.
Like in any business, new bosses invariably want to hire their own people.
So Tillman will say and do the right things insofar as Hall is concerned, but unless the team does a remarkable turnaround, a new head coach will be hired.
History suggests it will be a person who has never been a head coach before. He did that in B.C, with Dave Ritchie, in Toronto with Jim Barker, in Ottawa with Joe Paopao (who had limited experience as a replacement in Winnipeg) and in Regina with Austin and Miller.
So expect him to do a North American search and ultimately pick someone from within the CFL. He won’t make the mistake that the Argos did hiring Bart Andrus, an individual with pro experience as a head coach but with no understanding of the CFL.
My guess is Tillman will most likely go for a candidate with an offensive background, someone such as Calgary quarterback Dave Dickenson or Montreal’s Scott Milanovich. He may look at Buffalo Bills’ quarterback coach George Cortez, who is a long-time friend and has years of experience in the CFL with Calgary. But that’s assuming Cortez will be available or would want to leave.
Football analyst Matt Dunigan worked for a year as the GM/head coach of the Stampeders and was fired. He’d do well the second time around with Tillman as his guide. Dunigan is also a former Eskimo, who is liked and would be a good fit.
If Tillman tabs a defensive candidate, he will likely go with Calgary’s Chris Jones. Hamilton defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall has been a bridesmaid numerous times for head coaching jobs.
The search could possibly go outside the CFL to a candidate such as Tom Rossley, the quarterbacks coach and senior assistant at Texas A&M. He and Tillman go a long way back. Rossley has tremendous experience in the pros, both in the National Football League and back when he and Tillman were associated with Montreal in the early ‘80s.
One other name to consider is Doug Nussmeier, the quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington.
He has experience as a player and position coach in the CFL.
At the end of the day, my feeling is Tillman will look inside the CFL. If I was to pick a favourite at this time, it would be Dickenson. He was a great quarterback in the CFL and is considered one of the brightest minds in the game. He has the kind of profile that will sell in Edmonton, notwithstanding his years playing and coaching the rival Stamps. My second choice is Milanovich, who was courted by Toronto this year. He’s done well in Montreal. Third on the list is Dunigan. He’s worked with Tillman in television. There is a good fit there.
I’ll categorize everyone else as others because I just don’t see the field being that wide.
Knowing Tillman, he probably knows now who he wants but won’t divulge it.
But history suggests it will likely be a rookie head coach, or someone with limited experience.
Let the guessing game go on.
