Three days after Eric Tillman pleaded guilty to sexual assault, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are, still, confirming nothing regarding the future of their general manager.
But this much is known: as Sportsnet first reported Wednesday, Tillman is out as GM and Vice-President of Football Operations of the Roughriders, a 2007 championship team he helped construct.
Whether he officially will be fired or resign, in the aftermath of an eleven-month administrative leave as a result of the legal saga that ultimately ended with an absolute discharge in court Tuesday morning, remains unclear.
Late Thursday afternoon, the Roughriders announced they would not make an announcement regarding their plans for their 52-year-old GM. It marked the second consecutive day the organization failed to address Tillman’s fate.
A team spokesman suggested a Friday afternoon press conference is ahead.
The delay is likely due to how the football club will separate themselves from the three-time Grey Cup champion executive. It is believed that Riders president Jim Hopson is in negotiations with Tillman and his agent, Gil Scott, about a buyout from a relatively complicated contract that is bonus-laden and has automatic rollover renewals based on the on-field performance of the football team. Sources tell Sportsnet that Tillman was informed Wednesday of the Roughriders decision to part ways with him, following a meeting with Hopson and the club’s board of directors, just as he was telling those close to him that he was mulling his own outlook of what may be ahead.
Public sentiment in the province has been mixed on whether or not one of the franchise’s most successful general managers in years should be dismissed or retained. An editorial in the Regina Leader Post called for Tillman to be gone, that his guilty plea of sexual assault is “untenable”.
“In this community, we believe the baggage he now brings is too heavy for the team to carry,” the opinion piece stated, citing how the Roughriders code of conduct was breached by the Mississippi native.
Fan reaction, however, has been generally positive toward Tillman on fan and message boards. Since taking over for Roy Shivers in August, 2006, Saskatchewan has gone from a team hovering around .500 to a championship contender. The Roughriders are 44-26-1, including the post-season, during the Tillman regime. Saskatchewan has won four of six playoff games and appeared in two Grey Cups, winning the title in 2007. The Riders won the regular season West Division crown for the first time in over three decades last season.
Tillman’s successor and the franchise’s plan moving forward may not be revealed at Friday’s press conference. Should Hopson decided to continue with an internal candidate, as is expected, Brendan Taman – the team’s director of football administration and former Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager, would be the likely hire.
