Does any one know when they will announce who the coach of the year was?
They usually do it at the February league meetings.
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In a Landslide,hands down.....Has to be Austin :thup: :thup: :thup: :cowboy: :thup: :thup: :thup: :cowboy:
Don't hold your breath. The way the Cats have been totally ignored I figure the coaching award will go to Popp or nummy down the QE who had to go without his 'walk on water' starter out for 8 games. I doesn't count Cats went from least in the east to the GC game. The record number of injuries and rookies won't figure in either.
Bitter? Me? Nah...
If the winner comes from the East I think it would be safe to say its Austin. Win by a landslide I don't think so. The Cat's had a decent season, but there is 2 coaches in the West that had a pretty good season as well. I don't think I'd be shocked or disappointed to see coach of the year come from Sask. or Calgary.
Hufnagel had a veteran laden lineup,with few roster moves from the Cup finalist team of 2012 and failed to get back to the big game in 2013,despite a regular season best 14-4 record.The Riders went balls to the walls signing high end free agents and also had a veteran laden lineup.They went all out in a make or break successful attempt to win this years Cup. Both these teams were preseason favorites to be contenders,it's not hard to coach,when all the pieces are in place for you from the start.Austin and the Cats on the other hand were up against it from day one,no real home stadium,worst record in the league in 2012,the Williams drama,multiple injuries,a lineup with 18-20 rookies on it. What Austin did with this team this year was anything short of a miracle,no one thought we would be competitive let alone Grey Cup finalists.Austin did this year what no other coach has done here since Lancaster,our first 10 win season since 2001,brought back respectability to the organization who for but a few years,had been the laughing stock of the league......Well no ones laughing at us now!!!!!! IMO if Austin doesn't WIN this award for his efforts this season,then the league should just mothball it and forget awarding it from now on. :cowboy: :rockin:
I think a valid argument can be made by any western team that Austin coached in a very weak Eastern conference (maybe the weakest division ever in the CFL) The grey cup certainly showed that and Austin's Win/Loss were very inflated due to that. Just because all the pieces are in place does not make it easier. I think alot of coaches will say a talented veteran team is difficult to coach because you must keep all the egos in check.
I share your sentiments but I don’t thing our win total was that inflated, (ok maybe it was, we beat the bummers 4 times this year :lol: :thup: )
I wouldn’t be surprised when the media starts spewing the “east being a weaker division” last year BS, Yes the bummers were bad last year, but the Blow and the Larks weren’t walks in the park for us last year either! The larks and the blows both beat the Riders in the regular season this year, the blows even pulled off a win over the Stamps in Calgary (we couldn’t beat Calgary or Sask once this year).
It’ll be Chamblin, Popp or Milanovich…
There’s no way Popp wins coach of the year. Zero chance. He did nothing in Montreal to warrant this award.
It will likely be Hufnagel. As others have posted IF the award goes to a coach in the east (which I don’t think it will) it will go to Austin before MIllanovich and Popp has no chance whatsoever.
Why wouldn't Popp have a shot? He took over a team that was a total mess and destined to battle it out with the Bombers and Esks for the basement. He brought them back to respectable without their franchise QB. All while starting how many rookies. How many key injuries did they have all season? If your counting Austin in as coach of the year you can't discount Popp as he had just as many issues to deal with and still kept the Eastern semi close. With a bit of luck the results could have been much different. Kent Austin was not lights out coach of the year.
Totally disagree with you on this DAWG,a veteran team is way more easier to coach,if anything the coach is just a figurehead,letting the assistants do much of the legwork and with veteran players there comes experience and as everyone knows in any work environment,nothing counts like experience.The East division was far from the weakest division ever in the CFL,the only weak link was the B.B.'s,and sure we beat them 4 times last year,but EVERYBODY beat them last year!!! Ironically though 1 of their 3 wins was against the Grey Cup Riders.The East conference had 2 teams finish with double digit win totals and the Al’s were only 1 game below .500. So let me ask you a question…Would’ve the Cats had finished at 10-8(12-9 inc. P.O)if Georgie “Sharpie” Cortez were still our coach??? I think we all know what the answer to that one is. The only thing that does worry me,is the fact that the Cats have been an afterthought and over looked and not respected for what they did accomplish this year(no Rookie Award for Gable,no All-Stars chosen)
So in that manner,it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Austin is not chosen as Coach of the Year…it would be par for the course,when it comes to the leagues perception of our Cats and how far they came this season,to once again ignore us and diss us. IMO the league acts like its a 8(soon to be 9)team league…the CFL…7 teams and oh yeah!!!that other team from Hamilton!!! We totally forgot about them!!! :thdn:
And the winner is.... TIM BURKE he did a great job
He can also be blamed for hiring a rookie HC that has NEVER coached in the CFL. THAT would be the major blow to him…
I don't honestly know how you give it to anyone but Austin. He took the team from last place to the Grey Cup. He had to buzzsaw through piles upon piles of players to do it, and had to deal with countless injuries, and innovative play calling with LaFevour and Masoli working with Burris but he managed it.
What did Huff do this year? Took the West division champs, with three starting QBs and the best running back/Athlete in Canada to the Western final, that deserves coach of the year. :roll:
I can see if they give it to Chamblin, just to toot the Sask horn some more, but Austin had FAR more to overcome. He took the team from last place to the Grey Cup. He had to buzzsaw through piles upon piles of players to do it, (especially on Defence) and had to deal with countless injuries of big key players in Fantuz, Ellingson, Figueroa, Giguere, Hage, Webb and play running back round about at the start of the season. He also performed innovative play calling with LaFevour and Masoli working with Burris to overcome Montreal's run squelch, blitz happy defence.
Chamblin took a West Division finalists, tweaked it, gave Sheets some rope and won the cup at home. I'll give him credit, he won the cup and that counts for something for sure, but he did not have to overcome anywhere near as much adversity as Austin.
Already touched base on Huff
There isn't anything bad I can say about Benevides, who had to deal with Travis Lulay being hurt for several games, which made the Lions realize that they still need a respectable backup QB who knows your system, which they addressed. Just couldn't get it done in Sask.
Milanovich put on a good showing this year, but had his defence taken apart in the East final, and gave up ridiculous yardage this year, revealing that the Argos are a bit of a glass cannon team.
Popp made the best of a bad situation, that he put the team in as the manager. He's got a winner in Troy Smith, but we puzzled through their jam and blitz package he was running, as did the Argos.
and Burke and Reed got fired, and rightfully so given the media controversies and poor performance, although the Esks at least lost a lot of close ones.
EXACTLY!!! :thup: :thup: :thup: No other choice but Austin…as I said earlier…In a landslide…Hands down!!! 
I absolutely agree! :thup: :thup: Austin HAS to be a STRONG contender at the very least if not the favourite!