It’s a short short list
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON, EDMONTON SUN
Danny Maciocia has already put together a short list to fill the role of offensive co-ordinator.
While announcing yesterday that he will relinquish his hold on the offensive reins and hire a co-ordinator for next season, the Eskimos’ head coach shed just a sliver of light on the recruiting process.
“It’s less than a handful,” admitted Maciocia of his list of candidates. “It’s basically people I know, people who (share) a mutual friend (with me), people I have already researched.”
But at the moment, Maciocia can’t interview all of his candidates. “Some you can (contact), some you can’t because some are working.”
For that reason, there is no firm timetable for when the right person will be picked. It could be before or after Christmas.
It’s unlikely former Eskimo and current TSN analyst Matt Dunigan will be hired.
There are several sharp offensive minds with the Saskatchewan Roughriders - Danny Barrett, George Cortez and Tommy Condell, Marcel Bellefeuille - Montreal’s running back and receiver coach - and former Toronto offensive co-ordinator Kent Austin could also be candidates
He was already in involved in personnel decisions this year, so it's basically just like promoting a janitor to "head janitor". He won't have many new responsibilities. I don't care about this as long, as he gives up his offensive coordinator duties(which he has stated he already will). With how successful the Eskimos moved the ball through the air, it is unfortunate that Maciocca would go with the philsophy of "take what the defence gives you", rather than airing the ball downfield to hervey or tucker. And then discovering the rushing game the last couple of games in the season certainly displayed how incompetent he is as an OC. Bring in Matt Dunnigan.
Its a good move by Maciocia-- being a head coach and offensive co-ordinator is almost always a recipe for disaster. Hiring a full-time OC will be one the best moves he will have made this off-season.
I agree with sambo, but don't agree with esks123. Maciocia was "incompetent" as an OC?
Funny, I seem to recall him as an OC in Montreal, and our offence excelled under him. I also recall him as OC in Edmonton before he became head coach, and the Eskimos offence was pretty good then as I recall....team management must have thought so too because they gave him the nod over Greg Marshall when Higgins was shown the door.
Then, as HC and OC, he goes and wins a Grey Cup.
Okay, this year the Eskies didn't do so well. Well someone had to finish last.
But to say he's "incompetent", given the track record I just noted, is a tad unfair wouldn't you say? I'd say he may have been overworked trying to do the two jobs, or perhaps the personnel was problematic, but I would be loathe to say he is "incompetent".
Maciocca does not understand that you can't have the same offensive scheme with changes in personnel. For example, the Eskioms acquire Troy Davis last year, a star running back, but Maciocca fails to implement him very much at all in his plans. Then Maciocca finally decides to use him in one of the last games of the seaosn this year, he carried the ball over 20 times and racked up 190 yards! The Esks have Jason Tucker and Ed Hervey, two very competent deep threats, but once again Maciocca fails to utilize their skills and instead has Hervey running short curls all of the time. The Eskimos "bland/vanilla" offence under Maciocca contains no trick plays, reverses, or gadgets whatsoever. It is far too predictable.
MadJack, he's incompetent. Totally incompetent. He used to be good, as you said, so maybe he has a brain tumour. I don't know. All I know is that calling a screen play when you're at 2nd and 18, 2nd and 20 is stupid. He did that way too many times throughout this past season when the rookie o-line would put the offence in 2nd and long situations by taking holding penalties. Our opponents didn't have to study our game films. 2nd and long? They're running a screen play to the wide side of the field. Guaranteed.
Giving up OC duties is a big step in the right direction, but the biggest problem with Maciocca is that he can't fire up the team. The Esks had no fire this season AND they lacked that fire last season too. Only last season they got lucky and won the close games. It was luck, believe me.
Good coaches inspire the players - fire them up. Bad coaches may be brilliant tacticians, but good tactics can't win games if the players aren't proud, fired up, and want to win.