It is with great sadness I write this after last night’s game (read fiasco).
What has happened to the once great Ti-Cat tradition and legacy handed down from Gaudar, Trimble and Sazio?
Can’t be field personnel after all the changes made; can’t be the OC, the DC or the STC because they have all changed.
What is the present job description of ‘Head’ coach? From where I sit it is not much more than a coordinator. I mean you’ve got all the specialty coaches under the three coordinators, so what does the Head coach do that is special? Throw the challenge flag?
I think now you have to step in again and save the team from destruction.
I seriously feel our KA has had a minor stroke or something to disrupt his mental acuity. He has total tunnel vision on play calling: pass, pass and pass again. Was it Einstein that said doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity?
If it is not mandatory to have a head coach on the sidelines during a game I suggest to you to give KA a 3 game mental rest. For the next three games keep him away from his head coach hat, the other coaches and players. Let the coordinators, their coaches and players each run their disciplines and make their own game plans.
Three games can’t make things much worse than they are now. If things don’t improve, then we know KA is not the problem. But if they do improve…
If a head coach is needed on the sideline then I suggest YOU, sir. Just throw the challenge flag when the appropriate coordinator says to, and schmooze with the players.
Do you really think Austin coaches the O-line, D-line, linebackers, Defensive Backs, receivers, running backs, quarterbacks and special teams????
No....he may have input, but is likely not involved with the minutiae of each discipline.
The only blame I place on him directly is that his offensive system is not working ny longer with Zach. Our quarterback has been shaken to his core and his mental state is surely effecting his physical play . It's not all his fault as the O-line did not help him at all the first 3 games. In fact most of last year either.
IMHO, let it go for this year and see what happens. We just need to be in the mindset of a truly lost year and start to prep for next season.
I somewhat agree he may have input, but is likely not involved with the minutiae of each discipline, but I do believe he is responsible for the over all game planning and play calling (especially on offence).
First rule in system trouble shooting - what did you do just before SHTF. By isolating KA for 3 games you get to see if he is the cause or a further syndrome of a deeper problem.
It also gives KA a mental break and a chance to regroup and rethink his approach to each game.
Except in this case you're dealing with people and not machinery. How do you remove him for 3 games without undermining whatever confidence the team has? If you pull him....he's done.
I'm sure Bob Young is not happy but as a professional manager/owner of many businesses, he's likely been through this before and will take the correct action in time. Maybe he forces a change or not.
Openly asking him to respond in this situation is likely asking too much. I wouldn't discuss personnel with anyone outside my management structure. It is not professional. ( even if you're Donald Trump)
Except in this case you're dealing with people and not machinery. How do you remove him for 3 games without undermining whatever confidence the team has? If you pull him....he's done.
I think he's done already, the season is over. Did you see any spark in the team during and after the second quarter?
Openly asking him to respond in this situation is likely asking too much. I wouldn't discuss personnel with anyone outside my management structure. It is not professional. ( even if you're Donald Trump)
I really didn't want to post this but couldn't figure how to PM Bob.
Lmao they're doing a hell of a job of entertaining other team's fans though, wins for everybody! ...Except us
To be honest I say they go for the throat and aim for 0-18, once we hit double digits fan excitement will be back because we could witness history. I can see the sea of bags now at THF, it'd be fun everybody...it'd be fun! Believe me!
Sorry I am losing my mind along with this team lol humour is only outlet in my mind I'm not even mad, ill reserve my anger until we hire a new coach and can decide then whether I should be mad or not, cus this ship has already sailed.
Not enough Balls by Management to make the necessary changes long ago and Austin's record is just as bad as each coach previous from when Bob Young took over the team in 2003. However each coach previous only had a two year window or less to work with, unlike Austin who has had four years plus.
Greg Marshall 2004 - 2006
Ron Lancaster 2006 (Still one of the best and sadly missed, RIP)
Charlie Taffe 2007 - 2008
Marcell Bellefeuille 2008 - 2011
George Cortez 2012
Kent Austin 2013 - Present
The time for the Overhaul was long ago, remember the Five - Year plan in the beginning that ballooned into 14 years, well we are still living it right now. Maybe by 2020 we could have a winner???
BIGCAT, I know you are too smart a fan to not understand the difference between Austin's time here and the other coaches you mention...
First, TWO Grey Cup appearances and he has never missed the playoffs...and while a lot of people are saying he did it with Obie's players, so did Bellefeuille, and he never made the Grey Cup...Cortez had Obie's players and couldn't make the playoffs...so this guy has done things the others on your list couldn't with the same management support...
Second, and something that people are not giving him credit for, is he did this during the middle of the Ivor Wynne-to-THF fiasco, and players gave him the credit for keeping the team together while playing in a crappy CIS stadium and having to take a bus to practice every day...
You can argue he has made some poor personnel decisions...you can argue they haven't managed the cap as well as they should have...they have suffered more lost-game injuries than anyone else in the league over the past four years (looking for that article, but I think it may be on one of these threads from long-ago)...but the guy has been a good leader and coach in his time in the CFL, and he will be again...time was people said Buono lost it - he came back...time was people said Don Matthews lost it - he came back...
Don't confuse disliking the guy for your evaluation of his career...he's the best we've had since the Little General (god rest his soul) in the late 90's/early 2000's
Philly....
Not many people on these forums would agree with your assessment but I agree with you.
If anyone has ever worked in a large corporation you would know that 5 year plans change every year. Nobody can predict the future...you can have a vision or targets but they are continually refined/changed to reflect decisions made (good or bad).
Who would have guessed the turmoil with logistics related to this team when the whole PanAm process began. You have to give Austin all the credit for getting players through this.
Losing a knowledgeable OC just weeks prior to camp last season is what is killing this team. Losing the DC prior to this season has also hurt.
Most corporations would not fire the entire management structure because of these circumstances. People need to relax....(I almost threw my shoe at the TV Sat night :x )
I want this team turned around but I want it done with full thought and a thorough plan. We as fans have no clue what is going on behind closed doors with Young or Mitchell.
As embarrassing is this pasting was, it is one game (and nobody gave has any chance of winning).
As I've said in the past.....if you think this is bad...think about the Harald Ballard days of ownership.
I consider myself in the keep Austin camp, mainly because I don't think there are many worthwhile alternatives at this time of year. Plus mid-season changes rarely effect on field improvement, and, lastly, I think he derves the full season to show whether or not he has the ability to get things right.
On the other hand, I don't feel Austin's past accomplishments with the Cats deserve the status others have given them. Simply put, the progress over the last 4 years has been in reverse. In 2013, we miss the Cup win by one play, a called back return. In 2014, we got pasted, and were never really in the game. In 2015 we lost Eastern Final on the last few plays, a dropped interception and a miracle Hail Mary type bomb and run. In 2016, we lost the Eatern Semi-Final on a couple of erroneous calls, one called that didn't happen, and one missed that did. As I say, we are in reverse, moving away from the Grey Cup goal, not towards it. If this year's record continues, we will be consistently on the same course, missing the play-offs altogether, perhaps, in keeping with tradition, on the last play, or on a missed call?
Guys some very good points on Austin I am not calling for his head now but if no personnel changes are made in the next two weeks with coaching or upgrading and bringing in some new players then "Houston, we have a problem" It's obvious the talent level on this team is low at various positions as the next man up isn't working........ :cowboy:
Don't you think they've been trying to upgrade? How many DB's have been brought in this year? And as stated on the telecast, an experienced NFL castoff is a pure rookie in the CFL...much different game. Plus the experienced one we have either haven't yet played or played one game and now gone for the season. What the heck is coaching supposed to do to fix this?
All the experts here keep saying to bring in more talent....then we are back to square one again with raw rookies...how do you gel as a defence? Offence may be a different story but the current Austin system is complex( maybe way too complex and pass oriented) to get comfortable in.
I'm not saying to stand pat but know that this season is a right off when you airlift now....wait for some late camp NFL cuts first to start the rebuild for next season.
Philly_Canuck and Lennywasout: Your posts on the last page are extremely well thought out and bring up some very important history concerning our team and Kent's handling of a bizarre situation. I too believe that this has earned him some respect and leeway.
The point about raw rookies coming into the fold is also very relevant.
Now that our infrastructure, viability and player support are better then ever I keep hoping that Hamilton will be a place where players want to play. Of course you need a healthy relationship with the coaching staff to make this happen too. I am concerned about the rumours of Kent's relationship with the team but that is all they can really be without concrete first hand evidence to back it up - rumours. Talk that he has "lost the room" is just pure conjecture as a reason for our poor play. Our team is decimated with injuries. There are huge holes that are very hard to fill. Confidence is shattered. It is going to be tough for a while but this is where true fans step it up and support the team. I remember well the 2-16 season many years ago but it never stopped my support for the Cats. If anyone is having sleepless nights and heartache you know it is Kent, Bob and Scott. They know this business better than anyone else here... Sometimes it is easy to put all the blame on those gentlemen but I certainly know we are better for having them.
Palmer wrote: " I consider myself in the keep Austin camp, mainly because I don't think there are many worthwhile alternatives at this time of year. Plus mid-season changes rarely effect on field improvement, and, lastly, I think he derves the full season to show whether or not he has the ability to get things right. "
Palmer: A couple of years ago I would have agreed with you. But not now.
Let me address your points:
Those of us calling for Austin's speedy departure are not doing it because we expect a winning season immediately from someone else. By appointing an interim/temporary HC in mid-season the team has more time to search for a new HC. And which new HC, if one was available, would want to step in now and inherit an 0-5 team and be expected to get into the playoffs?
The chances of Austin pulling off a miracle by changing his game philosophy and getting things "right" are pretty slim. What about those 11 losses last season? And don't forget that all of his players on offence were chosen to fit his "philosophy". How else do you account for him trading Ellingson to another East Division team? Or his reluctance to run the ball. So the players he has now may not be what he needs for a different type of offence.
There is another point that has to be considered too. As V-P of Football Operations he answers to himself for what he has been doing. Giving him the rest of the season to "see if he has the ability to get things right" is pointless.
We do not have the talent or depth of talent we need to compete against the other teams in the CFL. Austin is responsible for that too. His abysmal record over the the past season and a half speaks for itself. The Caretaker and Scott Mitchell were aware of this before the 60-1 debacle Friday night. Why are they dithering? Surely they must realize that having the HC calling plays, being responsible for the GM and being V-P Football Operation was a mistake?
Austin was lucky to have had Tommy Condell with him for the first 3 seasons. This team has been on a downhill slide ever since he left. The Tiger-Cats need to go in a new direction. Starting now.
