I think it was Pigseye who stated they should look at a combined HC/GM. next.
I'm tending to agree now.
Clearly there are too many cooks.
As Bill Parcells used to say: "If you want me to cook a good dinner then I have to pick the food."
I have no idea how long Burke has left on his contract but he's surely lost.I know adding more dead payroll is not desirable.
I have no great solutions here but the culture needs changing. Finding that super boss is tough. I look at the control Austin has and he's clearly in charge. Not afraid to change culture by cutting popular veterans who don't suit his vision. And he never defers accountability.
Milanovich is similar. He must have a great working relationship with Barker.
Hufnagel has control as well.
Buono had total.
This is really disappointing. Could take years to get out of.
However the organization needs an overhaul starting with structure imo. Its hard to say if the talent , outside of QB, is substandard. They just seem lost. Not put into a position to succeed, mentally or physically.
What to do next is a more appropriate question. This team needs a complete overhaul.
I don't think Miller has the luxury of leaving the coaching situation "as is" before conducting a proper search for a GM. He is the one who will have to make changes, and fast.
Tim Burke is living the "Peter Principle," rising to his level of incompetence. As a Head Coach, he makes a good DC. He should be back up in the booth doing what he does best--working full time rebuilding our defense and stifling offenses.
Crowton doesn't have the knowledge to be a CFL OC. Bellefuille should be appointed HC and possibly OC until a replacement for Crowton can be found. A QB coach is a must. Every other team in the CFL has one and we need it the most.
Making these coaching changes will buy us time until a suitable GM can be found to make whatever roster changes need to be made. Miller should also hire more scouts to provide the future GM with a list of potential prospects. Right now, we have next to nobody looking for new talent.
Let's hope Marcel/Walters/Miller were taking notes and evaluating because that was the perfect game to use. Unfortunately for them, the list of problems is a long one, no quick fixes here, probably take the rest of the season to straighten out this mess.
I know next to nothing about this recently promoted GM Walters except that he’s very new to the job.
Does he have the knowledge and insight to make the necessary coaching changes and acquire talent?
I’m assuming NO, which is why I suggested Miller should act now, but at least Miller should sit down with Walters and Bellefeuille like you said and come to a consensus. If Walters is going to be more than an interim GM, he might as well learn on the job (and hire some scouts!)
That is the question I guess. It starts at the top and Mack made a real mess of things.
Whatever it takes to get everyone on the same page and bring in players that the coaches actually want or find a coach who will agree with what the front office wants.
Fir me it has to start with placing Pierce out of the QB equation for good. There really is no place for him there will always be discomfort with him as a back up.
If all agree that Hall has a very good chance of being there man then they will need to stick with him.
If not making a move to acquire McPherson and put him into place asap. With his skill set and knowledge of the CFL game you can build an offense around him.
As many will say it does not matter who the QB is if the Oline is no good and they are right. It is time to find better Olineman.
nearing the mid way point of the season the time is now for the new front office to work around the clock with the coaches they want in place and look to kick off the second half of the season with a plan in place and a direction in which they want to go.
This should have been done in the off season like we saw in Hamilton but it was not so now is the time
Bombers need a full time GM who's out there finding talent for this woeful club and not wasting his time coaching. No point in making coaching changes before appointing a GM because the new guy's got to be able to hire the people he wants and the Bombers sure don't need to be paying more salaries to people no longer working for the organization (think there's three already) in any event.
.....Buono made it work...gm/coach....Austin is giving it a shot...jury is still out on how he'll do in the final analysis...BUT I tend to agree with pigseye...It might make more sense to bring in a guy who wears both hats...It would certainly be a drawing card for some potential talent...then again not all coaches feel comfortable doing both jobs...IF we can find a guy who can do both and is capable/willing, then I say we go that route for the foreseeable future...Right now there is no quick fixes, as a few people have pointed out...BUT I bet the wheels are really churning overtime at the new CEOS' office, to come up with a few answers... :roll:
I don't think we necessarily need a combo HC/GM type. The main thing we need is a HC and GM that know their roles and can work together. What we don't need is a GM dictating who should and shouldn't play and making coaching decisions when he's not a coach, we need a coach that can articulate to the GM what he needs or where the team could be upgraded and the GM goes out and gets it for him. We need a coach and GM who can be on the same page, not one day giving a player a vote of confidence and the next day the GM cuts him. The number of guys who can handle both duties, coaching and bringing in guys, and particularly bringing in guys during the season and NFL cuts, and do it with success are pretty rare. Buono and Hufnagel were/are good at it. Jim Barker is a much better GM than he is a coach. Popp same thing. Adam Rita was so so but he only did it for a couple years. When you look at the potential head coaching candidates that are currently employed elsewhere, maybe Dickenson and Chris Jones can handle both jobs. Jones would be the only one I'd ask to do both jobs of the two IMO. Dickenson will have his hands full completely revamping the mess of an offense and coaching up a young QB to have time to sift through scouting data and negotiating contracts.
All we can do is hope the Bombers get it right and find the right mix on and off the field. This probably will be ugly next year as well. Maybe things will inch towards the team looking and acting like a pro franchise. Right now, the franchise is embarrassing and is tarnishing a glorious past this franchise has . Hopefully they show the Jet game in October at IGF, on the big screen. When both teams play at the same time !