Dave Ritchie

Toronto needs stability in the coaching ranks. How about bringing Dave Ritchie in as the HC to right the ship? Proven winner and players-coach with something still in the tank. Have him hire 2 young, quality guys for OC and DC with a succession plan after 2 seasons. Respectability and competitiveness restored. Amen.

That job would end him.

I think Dave should stay in retirement. Guys like him would be good as an advisor, but the daily grind of being a pro football head coach is tough for anybody let a lone somebody his age.

I agree. He’s in his early 70s. The grind and stress of being a head coach could be risky health-wise for a person his age.

Hmm, I hear you but, Ken Miller goes to a Grey Cup this year (admitting earlier cancer bout too). Bowden and Paterno do it into their 80's and go to bowls - both are 10 years up on Ritchie. Young guys with no HC experience have their spots too (Benevides falling stock, Kavis Reid coached 3 non-winners before 13 men on his 4th team in an 8 team league, Dunigan had a debacle on his hands). Let's call it a calculated risk with Dave but, a proven WINNING risk. Mandate him to bring in young, energetic still playing/former players - O'Shea, B Miles(player/coach?), Khari J, Danny McM, and their like and watch the energy come back to the boatmen ala Pinball.

I agree, not sure if Ritchie’s health could take the daily grind.

Yes, but the relatively elderly gentlemen (as if I’m one to talk) to whom you refer were/are in charge of good teams. The Argos are a train wreck, with problems on the offensive line, a weak receiving corps, no QB. . . and on and on. Not sure Ritchie wants to step into that mess. Were it Saskatchewan or Montreal, maybe different story.

Ritchie is not the answer for the Argos.

I'd like to see the next coach be someone who is high energy, intense, motivational and enthusiastic (all these qualities will be needed to help turn this ship around). And yes I do realize I am describing Pinball Clemons and also realize he has no interest in returning as a coach. The next coach needs to be both a players coach as well as someone that takes no nonesense in the locker room. It would also help if it were somebody the Argo fan base can identlfy with. Perhaps Matt Dunnigan would be a possibility. Surround him with 1 or 2 ex Argo's for assistant coaches (perhaps Damon Allen as an offensive co-ordinator and possibly even Mike O'Shea as a LB coach. With this team struggling for many years on offense I can only think that 2 of the most successful QB's in CFL history could help change things. As for the defensive co-ordinator we had the man in Stubler then made a fool of the poor man after making him head coach. Whoever takes that role on will inherit a solid unit to work with. If the boatmen ever could put a productive offense on the field I'd think the defense would be that much better as it won't get as tired in the 4'th quarter. Just my thoughts on the situation.