Lefko gives all the potential candidates he can think of to replace Richie Hall in Edmonton.
Let the guessing game begin on whom Eric Tillman will hire as the next head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.
When it's formally announced tomorrow that Richie Hall has been fired but may be re-hired as defensive co-ordinator pending the approval of the new coach, all names will be tossed around like a football.
So allow me to step behind centre and provide my analysis, but I reserve the right to call an audible. If any one of my choices is hired, I'm king of the world.
I'm told whomever Tillman hires will be somebody he knows, which could amount to everyone in the football world.
The most obvious choice is Buffalo Bills' quarterback coach George Cortez, who has longtime experience in the CFL and is considered an offensive guru. He worked with many elite quarterbacks with Calgary, including Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia and Dave Dickenson, to name a few. Cortez and Tillman are longtime friends. In fact, Cortez was on the short list when Tillman searched for a head coach for Saskatchewan in 2008. Who knows what will happen with Cortez in Buffalo? The team is 0-8 under first-year head coach Chan Gailey. You have to figure there will be changes in the staff. Tillman will likely have a pulse on his buddy's interest and future.
If I was doing the hiring, I'd take a really good look at Dickenson, who is the Stampeders' quarterback coach/offensive co-ordinator. He's only had two years of coaching experience, but I think he's ready. But the word I get from one of my spies is he's happy in his current position and isn't going anywhere. Presumably he's the heir apparent to replace general manager/head coach John Hufnagel, who at some point may want only the GM. But Tillman could take his best shot.
Bombers defensive co-ordinator Kavis Reed has been bandied about in the Edmonton media as a strong possibility. He knows Tillman from working in Saskatchewan and Ottawa. Come to think of it, Reed has worked for a bunch of Canadian Football League teams. He's a former star player with the Eskimos, so he knows the Eskimos Way and Tillman's Way.
I would give strong consideration to broadcaster Matt Dunigan. He knows Tillman, having worked in TV together and they're both from the south. Dunigan had one year as a head coach in Calgary and was 4-14. He was ill-fit to be the GM/head coach, but I think he could work well with Tillman handling the GM duties. Dunigan is also a one-time Eskimo, so he's familiar with the culture.
Montreal offensive co-ordinator Scott Milanovich is a hot prospect. He'd match well with Tillman, but I think he may have options in Montreal if head coach Marc Trestman returns to the U.S. in some capacity. Remember that rumour about him being a candidate for the University of Minnesota.
A real longshot is Roughriders' quarterbacks coach Marcus Crandell. He handled himself well when Tillman asked him to retire as a player midway through the 2008 season with the Roughriders after he lost his role as the team's quarterback. Crandell accepted a job on the team's coaching staff. He's well liked and has a great personality. Tillman could help nurture him through rookie head coaching pitfalls. I think Tillman thinks so highly of Crandell he may hire him in Edmonton as possible OC.
Doug Nussmeier, a onetime CFL quarterback in B.C. and later an assistant coach with the Lions, was shortlisted by Tillman in his search for a coach in 2008. Nussmeier is the quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington. He worked as offensive co-ordinator on the staff of the Ottawa Renegades in 2002 when Tillman managed the team. Nussmeier later worked as OC at Michigan State, quarterbacks coach in St. Louis and OC at Fresno before moving into his current role.
And as a blast from the recent past Tillman would likely reach out to Kent Austin, currently head coach at Cornell and with a multi-year deal in his back pocket. He likely makes good coin working in a Division I school and returning to the CFL would be a step backward, notwithstanding Tillman hired him as a rookie head coach in Saskatchewan in 2007 and it resulted in a Grey Cup win.
Hey, it's the Crazy Football League, weirder things have hapened.
