What's going on in Montreal?

[ArgoRavi]

It is February and they still don't have a head coach or offensive coordinator (it doesn't appear as though either Doug Berry or Mike Miller are returning). If this was the case with the Argos, this forum would be freaking out. What is going on in Montreal? Who can they possibly get to coach that team at this late date?

[ArgoGabe22]

It is February and they still don't have a head coach or offensive coordinator (it doesn't appear as though either Doug Berry or Mike Miller are returning). If this was the case with the Argos, this forum would be freaking out. What is going on in Montreal? Who can they possibly get to coach that team at this late date?

Herb Z. reported that Popp may keep the dual role but then afterwards he reported that two NFL teams are interested in Popp's services.

[Argocister]

What I've read .... Sorry can't remember where..... Popp is not leaving the ALS, and is more than likely keeping the dual role , GM-HC. Now the OC position is still up for grabs.

[294life]

Seems that Jim will remain in his dual role. The question is did he accept Wetenhall's 4 year GM plan in exchange.

[paulwoods13]

Some interesting comments from Shea Emry here: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...546/story.html

[OV Argo]

Popp staying on as Als HC is good news for OTHER CFL teams IMO; he is clueless as a HC; and IMO he used to be a very good CFL GM - at finding talent for the Als - lots of good new import players and did very well in the draft (and hung on to/ traded for lots of draft picks); but he seems to have slipped in that role too IMO - maybe his focus is more on finding an NFL gig now?

Thought he had another Trestman last year but that didn't work out too well; AC now gone and so he's going to rely on the ex-Heismann winner as the new QB - we shall see how that works out>

Als had their time as the big Kahuna in the East for a good number of years; that time is now over IMO, and my guess is they will not be a 500 team with Popp as HC and no AC at QB. Lucky for them they only have the iffy new Ottawa team to deal with in terms of making the play-offs now in the East.


OV's bold early pre-season 2014 predictions for the East:

Argos 11-7 (that's counting on Burke to put together a solid D)

Pussycats 9-9 (could be better if Collaros lights it up as a starter)

Als 6-12 (could be worse)

Ottawa 2-16 (could be worse)

[D-Gap-Willie]

I hope that you are wrong OV for the sake of the league. Your prediction would mean that the Weat would have a 16 win advantage over the East for the season - yes, I know that they have one more team than the East, but such a large imbalance would not be good for attendance or television ratings IMO.

[paulwoods13]

I see the East more like this (albeit a VERY early forecast):

Toronto 12-6
Hamilton 11-7
Montreal 8-10
Ottawa 5-13

[Argo57]

I see the East more like this (albeit a VERY early forecast):

Toronto 12-6
Hamilton 11-7
Montreal 8-10
Ottawa 5-13

I see Ottawa and Montreal finishing with similar records, Redblacks won't be as bad as many think.
Flip a coin between Hamilton and Toronto the difference being Ricky (if healthy)!

[OV Argo]

I hope that you are wrong OV for the sake of the league. Your prediction would mean that the Weat would have a 16 win advantage over the East for the season - yes, I know that they have one more team than the East, but such a large imbalance would not be good for attendance or television ratings IMO.

Yeah, but - an expansion team in there in the East skews things; can't see Ottawa winning more than a few games, but you never know; who is going to lose to them?

[ArgoRavi]

Yeah, but - an expansion team in there in the East skews things; can't see Ottawa winning more than a few games, but you never know; who is going to lose to them?

Winnipeg is one team that will lose at least once to the Redblacks. I am not high on the Bombers, especially with Bellefeuille and Etcheverry as their coordinators.

[OV Argo]

Winnipeg is one team that will lose at least once to the Redblacks. I am not high on the Bombers, especially with Bellefeuille and Etcheverry as their coordinators.

Not big on B & E for the Bombers myself either Ravi; however they do have plenty of CFL experience - look at the Ottawa coaching staff (very inexperienced and unproven); their roster is very lacking too IMO (could have done much better in the expansion draft and free agency IMO); maybe Blank Burris plays lights out for them and they win a good number of games though; I'd be tempted to bet they don't win a single game, but probably a couple of other CFL teams will be due for stinker games against Ottawa.

[AngeloV]

I don't know. I don't think an expansion team from a dispersal draft has ever had the type of QB Ottawa does in Burris. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win 7 or 8 games.

[ArgoRavi]

I would also disagree with OV's assertion about Ottawa's coaching staff being less experienced than Winnipeg's. Looking at Ottawa's staff, both Mike Gibson and Mark Nelson have been coordinators and not bad ones either previously while Rick Campbell has been a coach far longer than Mike O'Shea has. They also have the likes of Marcus Crandell, Ike Charlton, Travis Moore and Leroy Blugh on their staff who all know their way around the Canadian game.

[Neely2005]

Some interesting comments from Shea Emry here: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...546/story.html

Interesting article, thanks for posting it.

[OV Argo]

I would also disagree with OV's assertion about Ottawa's coaching staff being less experienced than Winnipeg's. Looking at Ottawa's staff, both Mike Gibson and Mark Nelson have been coordinators and not bad ones either previously while Rick Campbell has been a coach far longer than Mike O'Shea has. They also have the likes of Marcus Crandell, Ike Charlton, Travis Moore and Leroy Blugh on their staff who all know their way around the Canadian game.

Interesting - though I don't know if Winnipeg have named their full coaching staff yet.

Campbell & O'Shea are both rookies as HCs and interesting that both of their main coaching experience is in special teams; O'Shea of course was a long-time player in the CFL who was part of 3 GC winning teams and played under some very experienced and winning coaches - and hopefully, for him and the Bombers, he learned a thing or two in terms of football smarts & leadership from the likes of The Don Matthews, Pinball Clemons, Rich Stubler, etc.

Ottawa has some vet coaches in Gibson & Nelson and Leroy Blugh was a good late addition to give them some more Canadian content/knowledge; guys like Crandell, Charlton, Moore are former CFL players with very limited coaching experience and of course they are Americans like most of the staff there. We'll see - with a number of veteran Canadian football people in Wade Miller, Walters, Goveia helping to direct the Bombers - maybe they will hand most of their coaching jobs to a bunch of ex-players and other inexperienced coaches who are Americans / or maybe not - the Bombers already do have veteran Canadian football guys in Bellefuille, Pat Tracey and Markus Howell on their coaching staff.

[ArgoGabe22]

Here's a surprise - Tom Higgins will be the next HC of the Als. I knew he wanted to get back into coaching but wasn't expecting it to with Montreal.

[294life]

Here's a surprise - Tom Higgins will be the next HC of the Als. I knew he wanted to get back into coaching but wasn't expecting it to with Montreal.

I thought of him but that was quite a while ago. didn't think he was still in the cards. looks like the end is nigh for jim

[ArgoRavi]

Here's a surprise - Tom Higgins will be the next HC of the Als. I knew he wanted to get back into coaching but wasn't expecting it to with Montreal.

From what I have read, it seems like Wetenhall and Popp could not come to a new contract agreement where Popp would be both GM and head coach. Popp still has a year left on his GM contract. I never got the impression that Wetenhall was crazy about Popp coaching the team. Anyway, Higgins is sort of caught in the middle but if anyone can navigate that successfully it may be him.

[argonaut11xx]

WOW....Tom Higgins was an average coach at best during his tenure with the Eskimo's, and this looks like a "hold the fort" move for the Al's.

My biggest worry is a dip in attendance in MTL, and if that happens does Dr Wettanhall hang in ?(he's an old dude, what would motivate him to stay?)

The years where the Argo's and Al's were on shakey ground in the past really stunk...but with the NFL threat looming in Toronto, this may be a bigger issue than most think.

Ive always been worried that when AC was gone, how steady would the AL's franchise be?...