HALL EMOTIONAL AS TIME IN REGINA COMES TO END

REGINA — Richie Hall touched down in Regina on Tuesday with a heavy heart.
It was during the approach to Regina International Airport that he realized he was leaving the city where he had spent 20 years as a player and coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Hall, who spent 15 CFL seasons as a coach with the Riders including the last eight as defensive co-ordinator, was hired Dec. 17 as the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.

“I went by the (Riders’) office and it was a different feeling,’’ said Hall, who was in Regina to pack for his upcoming move to Edmonton. “I saw the girls in the office and I was really nervous. It was really sad because I know that the road has parted. When I clean out my office, I know it will be an emotional experience and the same when I come back in the regular season.’’

Hall spent nine seasons as a player in the CFL. He moved to the Roughriders after five seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. Hall, a five-foot-six defensive back, was with the Riders from 1988-91 and shared in the 1989 Grey Cup championship as a player. He was also a CFL all-star in 1988 and 1990.
Hall, 48, joined the Riders’ coaching staff in 1994 and remained through six different head coaches.

“It was a good place and the people were very open to me,’’ said Hall. “It wasn’t anything but a win-win. I was doing something that I enjoyed doing and I was involved with football. Over the last seven or eight years, I thought it was a really good atmosphere in the locker-room. Whether we won or lost, we had good football teams and it was exciting. With the winning, the people embraced us more than they did before. That’s why you come back — because you want the opportunity to win a championship.’’
Hall did that in 2007 when the Riders beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 in the Grey Cup game.

A sign of why Hall has been so popular with the players was how he reacted when the Riders were celebrating the third Grey Cup victory in the franchise’s history.
“I felt like a parent when your child is successful,’’ said Hall. “That’s the joy that I have in knowing that they worked hard and they accomplished something as a group.’’
Hall was the off-field leader of a defence that matured into one of the best in the CFL.

“Losing Richie is a huge blow,’’ said defensive back Lance Frazier, who re-signed with the Riders on Tuesday after leading the team with five interceptions in 2008. “He was the ultimate players’ coach. If he told you to run through a brick wall, you would try it. He is definitely going to be missed.’’

The Riders are still searching for Hall’s replacement. Assistant coach Gary Etcheverry and CFL veteran Dave Ritchie are among the candidates.
“If I had a choice, I would pick (Etcheverry) because he’s been there,’’ said Frazier. “He was the reason why we got to the football so much. He stressed that every day.’’

Quarterback Darian Durant, who re-signed on Monday with the Riders, said he talked regularly with Hall about defences.
“I went to Richie for advice because he was best defensive co-ordinator out there,’’ said Durant, who is heading into his fourth season with the Riders. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing against him because that can only make me better, along with playing against the Riders’ defence every day when he was there.’’

There has been speculation some of the Riders’ potential free agents, especially those on the defence, could follow Hall to Edmonton. Hall appreciates the loyalty but stressed that the players have to do what is best for themselves in regards to any free-agent moves.
“If players become free agents, they become free agents,’’ said Hall. “That doesn’t mean they are coming to Edmonton. Wherever the guy goes, the decision has to be best for them and their families because there aren’t any guarantees. There is always the unknown but I really haven’t thought about players because there are a million things going through my mind. Free agency is still a month away.’’

Hall headed to Colorado to visit with family immediately after being introduced as Edmonton’s head coach.

He hasn’t been in Edmonton since and expects to make the official move soon. He has been in daily contact with general manager Danny Maciocia. Hall said he’s ready for the challenge of being Edmonton’s 23rd head coach.

“When the whole thing went down, I was excited but sad because I was leaving Saskatchewan,’’ said Hall. “I was anxious and there was doubt because I wondered if I was ready. I’m ready but you have to be careful what you wish for. The whole day was bittersweet for me because it was a great opportunity, but I knew that it would cost me being part of Saskatchewan where I had been so long.’’
Regina Leader-Post