Coach of the Year Nominees

MY pick would have been Berry but he was not on the list.

Ya, 3 out of 8 smacks “bush league.” Almost 40% of all coaches are up for the award. So mathematically speaking, you could be an average coach, yet still be considered for the award. Also, why announce the award MONTHS after the season ends? If anything, this award should be renamed the, “2 teams in a 8 team league have the same nickname memorial award”

IMO opinion the three finalist should be whining wally, Austin and Berry. whinning wally for managing a team and a third string quarterback to an outstanding record.

Austin for taking a team of also rans to winning the grey cup.

Berry for taking a team that had it's share of problems including losing his starting quarterback into playoff, coming up with a game plan that could have won the cup.

Pinball would have been gone.

The winner, definitely hands down is whinning wally. His third string quarterback and franchise wins makes it hard to argue with.

Well I know this will upset Doc but I agree with you there Mike.

Well I'm glad to see that most people seem to be of the sentiment that Mr. Berry got screwed on this one...

Oh well next year

...I'm pretty p.o.'d that Rob Cote didn't even get an honourable mention...

Since voters tend to favor new coaches, Austin should win. If Austin doesn't win, Buono is worthy of the award. Berry and Austin had easier challenges. Buono and Clemens had tougher challenges to overcome. Maybe Berry losted votes because of Winnipeg poor performance in second half of season?

Austin has to be a shoo-in for this. The guy wins the GC in his first year as Head Coach and the last time they won it he was QB? Seems pretty obvious that he's a winner.

You treat him right and give him the award even though he has moved on because a) You show respect b) You don't burn bridges and c) Football is an insiders game where everybody knows everybody else, or knows somebody who knows everybody else. Treating somebody badly for advancing their career in the brotherhood of football is just bad for business.

Even though it's the sports writers who vote, don't believe for a minute they aren't influenced by league insiders.

Good one Red!

But seriously why does this league continually drag its feet???

Im not sure, but what league besides the CFL waits three months after the season to decide the coach of the year??

What league has a possible player suspension drag on for who
knows how many months??? (after the season)

(By the way Im now convinced he deserves a year suspension)

What league has no one in charge of officials going into a new season???

This is the time of year to sit down and review the refs performance and look into making whatever changes, and improvements necessary. Is this happening???

I doubt it.

The new schedule could have been announced months ago, with all the back to backs, it wouldnt take a rocket scientist.

If they would take the energy some on here have, team audits
and final sms numbers would have been done, and announced before Christmas.

Oh and yes, Austin should win by a landslide.

The guy did way better then i expected, its honestly
a shame for Rider fans that he bailed after one year.

Would have been interesting to see if it was dumb luck, or the guy is truely a great coach.

I'm with you there Eskylo. I was, as I recall, somewhat critical of his being hired in the first place. His coaching track record didn't indicate much to me; he was O/C in Ottawa, and they had a poor offence. He was then O/C in Toronto and they had (and still have since his departure) an anemic offence. That led me to think that he was not head coaching material.

Shows how much I know.

:(

It is a shame he left, but you have to take the opportunities that knock. I don't blame him for that. He deserves to win nevertheless.

First Grey Cup in 18 years. And Mike still finds it hard to give Austin the award. The award he earned.

If it was a team of also rans. Your words trying to not give Tillman credit. How can Austin not be coach of year? If you win Cup with also rans. Then you are coach of year.

Austin 1st. Buono 2nd. Berry 3rd I think.

Any other team, losing their 1st and 2nd string qbs, would have tanked.

Austin did a fantastic job, but what Wally did was almost a miracle.

No offence to Kent, but Wally deserves it, imo.

I think people don’t give enough credit to Dave Ritchies defense in BC. They had such a good defense all they had to do was ask the offense to not turn the ball over. For most of the year BC had an average offense.

I’m not saying Wally doesn’t deserve serious consideration for this award, because it’s not often a team goes 14-3-1 especially without it’s starting quarterback, but perhaps im alone in regarding their defense as the major reason, not the 3rd string QB.

Just two things being a team of also rans doesn’t mean they didn’t have the skill or ability to win the whole thing. They were also rans until last year. I would put Calgary in the also ran category for the last three years. They are one or two things away from winning whole thing. But just can’t get there. But taking a team that is one or two players away and based on everyone’s opinion should have been competing and potential won it either in the 11-7 season or at least once since then and moving them to winning the whole thing is very different then what BC had to got through.

Wally had greater challenges to deal with. First losing his 1st and 2nd string quarterbacks for 12 games. He lead his time to a franchise number of wins.

I know you don’t like that assessment but it has nothing to do with Austin or Tillman. It is an honest assessment of the situation.

If Saskatchewan and Winnipeg had the same QB injuries of BC and Toronto, they might have finished third or missed the playoffs. Despite adversity, amazing that BC and Toronto were divison leaders in 2007.

3 things about Austin over Buono.

14-4 with 3rd quarterback is great.

Having Dickenson and Pierce and Jackson is scouting not coaching though.

Going from 9 wins to 12 is great.

People act like Lions only team with injuries. How about this? Dominguez leading CFL in receiving. Austin loses him. Cates becoming a star. Austin loses him. Rookie Washington scores 3 tds in 2 games. Becoming very good receiver in September. Austin loses him. Szarka starting fullback. Very good blocker. Austin loses him.

Yes Lions won with Pierce and Jackson. Yes qb is most important position. But Austin lost 4 starters on O. Very good starters. Dont forget that.

Buono had very good players. Good coach. Austin wins 12 in 1st year. 1st home playoff game since he played. Best record since 70 something. Austin is coach of year.

You could also argue that if BC had the number of injuries on defense that Saskatchewan did this year they wouldn’t have finished first. Both BC and Toronto rely upon their defense, and they both stayed relatively healthy this year.

Not that I would be all that upset if Wally wins it.

They also relied heavily on Joe Smith to take some of the pressure off of Jarius Jackson.