I think it would benefit the CIS and the CFL and young coaches in Canada if the CFL would hire more from the CIS rather than casting about looking for failed and retreaded coaches from the US. I'm not just talking about the HC position but rather all positions.
Coaching staffs just bounce around, There are about 85-95 positions in the CFL coaching ranks and probably 100-110 in the CIS ranks.
If there was a clear pathway for successful CIS position, Coordinators and HC to move into the CFL I think we'd see huge development and stability. Canadians would start to see this as a legit career opportunity. Instead we see 50-60 year old linebacker coaches in the CFL from south of the border just jumping from team to team every year. Have you ever looked at the resumes for most of these guys. Its like a travel guide of the nomads.
I agree with what you are saying, but, as of right now 3 of our 9 teams have Canadians as Head Coach.
Wally, Chappy and O'Shea are Canadians, I don't recall a period of time when 3 teams in the CFL had Canadian HC's.
That is true. What I am saying though is I'd like to see a natural progression or pipeline for CFL coaching positions to go through the CIS. That we legitimize coaching as a career opp within our own structures if you will.
Stefan Ptaszek is now the TiCats OC, he worked his way up through the CIS as OC at Wilfrid Laurier and then became
HC of McMaster where he won the Vanier Cup in 2011
Also. TiCats Byron Archambault just resigned to take a position Coach back at his alma mater with the Carabins, he could work his way back to the CFL as a Coach
The issue isn't passport but money/contract. If the league enforced position coach contracts and paid them more, you'd have more stability. In the NFL, a coach can stay with a team for years coaching a specific position because he's well-paid. Obviously we can't match NFL pay scales but we can start by making the positions better-paid. Benefits for coaches would help too.
Well at this point I'm hoping the Argos interview guys like the very successful CIS coach in Blake Nil. They are limited at this point. CIS, NCAA or NFL. Still signing guys as they did yesterday without a GM or HC. I'm confused as most Argo and CFL fans are at this point as to what the hell they're doing.
Once upon a time Don Matthews talked about forming a CFL coaches association. I found this from 2006:
[b][i]COACHING BENEFITS: A few years back during a Grey Cup coaches news conference, former Montreal head coach Don Matthews outlined the need for a coaches association to set up a pension plan for CFL coaches and establish strong language to ensure coaches who are fired by their teams are still paid what they’re contractually owed.
On Wednesday, B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono and Montreal’s Jim Popp agreed the issue of benefits for CFL coaches remains a big one.
“To do that question, in fairness, we need about an hour,? Buono said. “Probably the guys who work the hardest and are appreciated the least are not the head coaches because they well compensated, but usually the assistants.
“Our league is a league of opportunity for them. A lot of guys sacrifice a lot for the opportunity. If Jim and I had our way, they would all be addressed but there are a lot of issues the league is trying to address. Unfortunately, all these put more pressure on the owners and it causes major issues. These are things we should slowly and, I believe, earnestly deal with so we can attract good coaches.?
And Buono believes it’s up to the CFL to set up a benefits plan for its coaches.
“It should be a league issue,? he said. “When you come into the CFL, there should be a certain standard required.
“Now, what you choose to pay the guy, that’s another issue. What the benefits are should be standard, I believe.?[/i][/b]
These coaches certainly deserve a shot after honing their craft, and the next logical step should be an opportunity to practice their chosen profession at the next level.