Coach O is polarizing figure on the forum with the “Steins” vs. the “Orlondos” getting into some deep debate about his past and his future. I thought a dedicated thread might be of interest where people can let loose. I’m going to stake out “Coach O” as the nomenclature for those in the neutral camp (like myself).
(I have moved over some of the posts that were in the Depth Chart thread - It’s not perfect but hopefully it keeps the discussion moving along)
Thanks!
Plenty of praise and kudos given out all around to Stein and co. Those posts didn’t disappear. But they don’t negate the past 2 seasons and plenty of mistakes made.
All of the players listed haven’t won (much less played) a game yet.
The past actually happened. The future hasn’t.
Last year at this time any questioning of the roster was met with name-calling, turns out those questions were very accurate and valid.
Again… looking forward and not back.
“Depth Chart for 2023” is the thread.
Mistakes made? Absolutely. Mistakes addressed? Hell ya!
Future HOF QB now here and our former faltering starter moved out west.
Snagged the most dynamic running back in the league.
A beast in Jameer Thurman at MLB.
Big, imposing receivers signed as well as speed.
Huge improvements on both lines.
DB’s getting a refresh after sub par play.
Best kicker in the league in Seth Small.
Our signed players have been and will be winners.
I don’t recall name calling here last year. I have seen a lot of passive aggressive “Stein” and “three headed monster” references but who really cares? That just clarifies and unmasks the contributor’s view of these folks.
And yes, you are correct. Those that had QB concerns last pre-season were very accurate and valid. Cost us many games.
I can only speak for myself, I don’t think Stein earned the front office power/control he was given and had no experience or training to get the position he was given. I think he’s a good football coach and looking back you’ll see nothing but excitement and positivity with bringing him back, and then giving him the head coaching position when he was given it. His experience in the NCAA and CFL made him a logical fit as our next head coach.
There’s no view to unmask, I think I’ve been pretty consistent in my view of him. Good (potential to be great) coach and leader. VERY suspect executive.
If the collective are going to credit him with going out and signing Bo “at all costs” then he should at least be questioned on why we’re here… His decision to let Masoli walk for nothing and sign the “3rd string material” Evans. But I don’t think I’ve seen that view once.
Top franchises don’t take 2 year head coaches with no front office experience and make them President of Football ops. It’s taken Dave Dickenson decades to get where he has.
That’s my view of Stein.
The man’s name is Orlondo Steinauer . Show some respect .
CALGARY – Orlando Steinauer, Grey Cup coach, leader of men, never knew his father.
He grew up just outside Seattle as an only child of a drug-addicted single mom of little education: being alone was a daily part of his childhood.
Often he would wake up for school in an empty home, feed himself whatever there was to eat, return to that same kind of emptiness after school, usually after a sporting practice of some kind. He was, in his own words “a latchkey kid” partly bringing himself up, partly with the help of his grandfather.
“If”
Every aspect of every sport involves IF .
Not sure people who said everything is fine and the Stein regime is doing a great job in the past get to acknowledge crucial mistakes did in fact happen and claim vindication when the regime goes on FA spending binge to try and reverse the effects of those errors.
Also have yet to read anyone who isnt at least cautiously optimistic. Evidence of critics condemning Stein for this recent ambitious approach doesn’t seem to exist.
Refer to post 371 and 372 as it posted in the Depth Chart for 2023 thread.
I appreciate the well expressed reply.
Cheers.
I wonder if there was truth to rumour that he was headed back to coach in the NCAA at his home town school. He was promoted to Cats president shortly after those rumours started.
I’m sure there was and the Cats promoted him (money included) to keep him here. Don’t get me wrong I love the continuity but the biggest issue I have with it is you now can’t just fire your coach if things go bad, you have to blow up the entire organization.
Even if he was HC/GM like Dickenson reporting to a President of Football Ops with some actual front office experience (Barker was here at one point) there would be some level of accountability.
With a President job available, you could have gone after any GM (Walters for example) as it would have been a promotion for them.
Stein is essentially not accountable to anyone with football knowledge and though it’s not exactly his fault, it speaks to the mismanagement from Young/Mitchell.
Did the same thing with Cortez, Austin… And haven’t learned.
Do we have a current depth chart?
Post of the Year. 
No doubt this is the best free agent signings period this team has mustered in many years, but make no mistake, it’s make or break for Stein this season. If it doesn’t work out this year (at minimum, a hometown Grey cup appearance) then Stein is gonzo!!!
With a very limited cap money allotted in the CFL, most if not all smart teams eliminate the Ifs.
You simply can not eliminate all the “ifs” in a salary cap league of any kind.
I think we’d all agree Winnipeg is at the top of the ‘how to manage a CFL team’ class right now, yet they went into the 2022 playoffs with Marc Liegghio as their kicker. In hindsight he wasn’t the storyline once the playoffs ended despite going 1/2, but he was definitely an “if” going into the post season.
I would disagree and say Orlondo has many more bullets to fire before he would ever be terminated.
Knowing how his owner operates there are quite a few sceanarios that would keep him here in Hamilton.
Win the East, have a good season and lose a hard fought Eastern Final he stays.
Have an injury plagued season where things out of his control make things become unhinged.
Decides he wants to hire a coach and focus full time on his other Football operation roles.
Decides he wants to coach only and hire a replacement for his other duties.
Or just decides he wants another kick at the jobs.
Put me in the SHOCKED category if Orlondo is not back 2024. No matter what happens.
I’m also of the camp that O has a LONG leash still.
I am a believer that Orlondo has plenty of runway ahead of him after this season regardless the result (to a degree, different story if he loses the room which is pretty extreme).
Here’s hoping we win that elusive Grey Cup and never know who’s right!