GREG MARSHALL WILL BE THE NEXT RIDER COACH

By Rob Vanstone Thu, Dec 30 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

Here is a story I just filed to leaderpost.com:

Greg Marshall is well-positioned to become the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ next head coach, although an announcement is not imminent.

Marshall has been identified by the Roughriders’ brass as the No. 1 candidate to succeed Ken Miller, who stepped aside Dec. 3. Miller — who remains on-board as the CFL team’s vice-president of football operations — was empowered to decide on his replacement in close consultation with general manager Brendan Taman.

“We do not have a deal signed or agreed to by any of the head-coaching candidates,’’ Taman said Thursday night.

Marshall, 54, is the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ assistant head coach, defensive co-ordinator and defensive line coach. The Roughriders have opted to offer Marshall the job after also seriously considering Richie Hall, who was dismissed Nov. 29 as the Edmonton Eskimos’ head coach. Marshall and Hall are both former Roughriders defensive co-ordinators.

As of Thursday night, Hall was not entirely out of the running for the head-coaching position, being that a deal with Marshall had yet to be consummated. If negotiations with Marshall do not result in a contract, the Riders could then turn to Hall.

Regardless, Hall is far from out of the coaching picture, being that he could very well return to the team as its defensive co-ordinator. Hall was a Roughriders assistant coach from 1994 to 2008, serving as the defensive co-ordinator for eight seasons.

Although Marshall and Hall ended up atop the list of head-coaching candidates, the Roughriders also discussed the position with Doug Berry (the Roughriders’ assistant head coach and offensive co-ordinator, and a former head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers), Corey Chamblin (the Calgary Stampeders’ defensive backs coach) and Scott Milanovich (the Montreal Alouettes’ assistant head coach, offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach).

An announcement regarding the Roughriders’ head coach is expected early next week.

RIDER COACHING SITUATION

Greg Marshall.Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post filesREGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders' brass is in the final stages of deliberation over who should be hired as the head coach.

The decision apparently comes down to this: Greg Marshall or Richie Hall. However, the package could very well include both gentlemen.

Marshall has the inside track on the head-coaching job, which was vacated Dec. 3 when Ken Miller stepped aside.

If Marshall is indeed next in line, one of his initial moves could be to appoint Hall as the defensive co-ordinator.

There is a chance that the scenario could work in reverse, but that is less probable. Marshall, after all, is currently employed as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' assistant head coach, defensive co-ordinator and defensive line coach. Hall, by contrast, is looking for another football job after being fired as the Edmonton Eskimos' head coach on Nov. 29.

It would be a lateral move for Marshall to assume an assistant-coaching position with another CFL team. The prospect of a long-awaited head-coaching gig would serve as an inducement.

Given that the Roughriders' next head coach will not occupy a dual role as a co-ordinator, Marshall would have to appoint someone to choreograph the defence. That creates a potential opening for Hall, unless Marshall — or someone in the Riders' hierarchy — is bullish on retaining the able Gary Etcheverry as the defensive co-ordinator.

This is where it gets a little confusing. Etcheverry was the Toronto Argonauts' head coach in 2002 when Miller was hired to coach the Boatmen's quarterbacks. Miller, who remains on-board with the Roughriders as the vice-president of football operations, now has the final say on the hiring of the head coach. If a defensive-oriented head coach is appointed — and that is a virtual certainty — what happens to the assistant coaches on that side of the ball?

Miller, who will select the head coach in consultation with general manager Brendan Taman, has a long-standing admiration for Etcheverry but is also highly respectful of Hall. Can everyone be accommodated? Stay tuned.

Another defensive-oriented coach, Corey Chamblin, was interviewed for the head-coaching job. In fact, the Roughriders spoke to him twice, as they did with Marshall. However, Chamblin — the Calgary Stampeders' defensive backs coach — is no longer part of the equation. Do not be surprised if Chamblin is one day calling the shots on the sidelines for a CFL team.

The Roughriders were not averse to hiring a head coach with an offensive pedigree. Montreal Alouettes assistant head coach, offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich was flown to Regina for an interview, but did not advance to the second stage of the exhaustive process.

Saskatchewan offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry was also interviewed for the top job but is unlikely to assume that post.

In many ways, Berry is the logical heir, being that he is the assistant head coach, and that he experienced success as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' field boss. But if Berry was the guy, why conduct a series of interviews? If the Roughriders were going to promote the assistant head coach, as per an organizational line of succession, such a move would have been made two or three weeks ago.

Nonetheless, there is a very real possibility that Berry will return in 2011. He has one year remaining on a contract that calls for him to be well-compensated. Despite speculation to the contrary, there does not appear to be a philosophical chasm between Berry and quarterback Darian Durant.

And look at the results. With Berry calling most of the plays, Durant threw for a league-high 5,542 yards — the third-highest total in franchise history — in 2010 and also paced all quarterbacks in rushing yards (618) and TDs along the ground (seven). Many Roughriders fans are allergic to Berry — and inexplicably so — but the status quo is preferable as far as the offensive blueprint is concerned. Otherwise, Durant will end up playing under his fifth offensive co-ordinator in six seasons as a Roughrider.

Obviously, many dominoes have yet to fall. The entire process should become much clearer next week, when the Roughriders are expected to make an announcement. The likelihood is that Marshall will be front and centre.

rvanstone@leaderpost.com



NOTE: DEBBIE AND I SAW GREG MARSHALL IN THE RIDER LOCKER ROOM, LAST THURSDAY, WHEN WE STOPPED FOR THE LOCKER ROOM SALE !!

RIDERS RESIGN McCULLOUGH

By Murray McCormick Wed, Dec 22 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

The Saskatchewan Roughrider announced today they have signed non-import linebacker Mike McCullough to a new contract. Financial details of the signing were not released.
McCullough has spent the last eight seasons with the Riders after being originally selected by the Green and White in the 3rd round (23 overall) in the 2003 CFL College Draft. In 2010, the 30-year-old played in all 18 regular season games where he had 29 defensive tackles, seven special team tackles, four quarterback sacks, three pass knockdowns, two tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery.
In 140 regular season games played for the Riders, McCullough has tallied 143 defensive tackles, 86 special team tackles, 30 fumble recoveries and seven quarterback sacks.
McCullough was set to become a free agent in February, 2011.

Remaining Rider Free Agents

T Joel Bell l
DB Lance Frazier l
LB Daniel Francis l
RB Neal Hughes
DE Kitwana Jones l
DB Sean Lucas l
G Gene Makowsky
LB Mike McCullough - re-signed Dec. 22
DB Chris McKenzie l
C Jeremy O’Day
OL Wayne Smith
LB Kye Stewart l
l - denotes import

HOW IS LUCA DOING ??

Popular Rider kicker Luca Congi was with Mitchell Blair on 620 CKRM's Sports Cage Monday afternoon. The five-year veteran saw his season come to an end with an horrific knee injury sustained against Calgary in the fall. Mitch caught up to Luca for an update on his recovery:

SCRUFFY: How's your injury doing?

CONGI: The knee's great. I couldn't ask for better progress than now. The surgery's gone really well and the rehab to this point has been really successful as well. Just have to take it one game at a time and things will come together.

SCRUFFY: Will you be ready for training camp 2011?

CONGI: I'm hoping to be. I'm hoping to be ready for the home-opener. That's my goal. It just depends on how rehab goes the next six months. I'll be working my butt off to be ready as soon as I can but in saying that I have to be patient and I can't rush back. This is one of those things where I have to literally take it one day at a time. As long as I can improve strength in my leg and mobility everyday, it'll look very good.

SCRUFFY: How much of a learning experience has this been?

CONGI: I try to look at the good in everything that happens. It's been interesting. I've learned from a lot of people what to do and what NOT to do to be successful. One of the best things is the support I'm received from my coaches, teammates, my family and the fans. That's one of the great things I've experienced throughout this time.

SCRUFFY: There was talk this could be career-ending. What did you think about that?

CONGI: When I heard that, I laughed to myself. This is the 21st century here. The medical field has advanced and this is not 1980 or the 70s. Now when you have an ACL injury you have surgery and then rehab. There's so much knowledge out there now about how to get back. When I heard that, I laughed. That's obviously incorrect. Not to downplay it though, there's a lot of work ahead. But I've overcome a lot of things in high school, college and pro's and this is just another.

SCRUFFY: What's the rehab process like now?

CONGI: I'm with the physiotherapist three days a week in Ontario here. I hit the gym two days a week. Obviously right now I'm not doing crazy lifting but it's the bike and stairclimber and stretching. It's all about progress. I try to do a little bit more everyday. You don't want to re-aggravate it, but you push it.

SCRUFFY: What's a Congi Christmas like?

CONGI: It's nuts! We have a really big dinner on the 24th and it's a lot of Italians so it's very loud with a lot of arguing and a lot of fun. We have a very big and tight family. Usually there's 30 - 35 people at our house Christmas Eve and it's a lot of fun.

SCRUFFY: You got all your shopping done?

CONGI: Oh no. Last-minute Christmas shopping is like a challenge for me. I always wait, so it's all good.

SCRUFFY: Thanks Luca and Merry Christmas!

CONGI: Merry Christmas to everybody in Saskatchewan!!

SCOTT MILANOVICH FOR RIDER COACH ??

It must be Monday because there is loads of buzz out there about the Roughriders and their search for a new head coach.

There was a report on Twitter that the Riders are prepared to offer the head-coaching position to Scott Milanovich, the current offensive co-ordinator with the Montreal Alouettes.

I checked this out and was told the Riders have indeed interviewed Milanovich but there isn’t any truth to the reports that he’s been offered the position.
The fact the Riders have interviewed Milanovich isn’t a surprise. Any man who has guided the Alouettes’ offence to a pair of Grey Cups championships has surely earned the interest.

Not much else to report on the search so far, but I would expect more reports to surface in the coming days. Sooner or later the Riders will have to decide on a head coach.

COACHING DECISION MAY COME BEFORE XMAS

Rider GM Brendan Taman met with the Regina media this morning. Here's a partial transcript of the conversation. The full scrum can be heard on today's Sports Cage on 620 CKRM between 4 and 6 pm.

Q. Will you have a coach named soon?

TAMAN: We're in a process that's going along pretty well actually. We're almost done the first phase of it per se. We have a few more interviews to do.

Q. When you expect an announcement?

TAMAN: That's a good question. We'll be moving into the next phase over the weekend. It'll run its course from there. The sooner we can get it done we will. We're not in a panic here. There have been a lot of people who wanted to talk to us and there are a lot of people we wanted to talk to. In reality we're down to about six (candidates). I'm hoping we can expedite things but we're pretty much right on track with what we planned. Interviews don't take five minutes, they take five or six hours.

Q. It will be before Christmas won't it?

TAMAN: We'll see.

Q. Is your gut feeling it'll be someone from inside your staff or outside?

TAMAN: We're doing both, honestly. There's pluses to inside people and pluses to outside people so we're exploring every option.

Q. Does Darian Durant have a say in the process?

TAMAN: I think it's important to get his feedback on everything is run but he won't make the decision. It is important and we talked to Darian at length before he left. We know where he stands and there was no surprises in those conversations either.

Q. Are you concerned about losing Marcus Crandell to Edmonton?

TAMAN: There has been that rumour. I'd be happy for him if he had that chance. I know he's talking with Edmonton and it's tough for Marcus because he has family issues to deal with. It's always tough to lose good people but it'll be a good chance for him.

Q. Gary Etcheverry's and Nelson Martin's names have come up in connection to Winnipeg. Have teams asked for permission to talk with them?

TAMAN: Not to my knowledge no they haven't.

Q. What's it like for you assistant coaches being in a state of limbo?

TAMAN: Those are the people I feel sorry for the most. They're having a tough go. We were pretty successful but the result of that is they're looking for work, basically. It's a tough spot to be put in but hopefully for their sake we can keep some of them. It's a tough thing for their lifestyle to go through, especially through the holidays.

ANDY FANTUZ

Andy Fantuz's first interview since his workout with the Pittsburgh Steelers was with 620 CKRM for Wednesday's Sports Cage. He explained the entire workout process in the interview which can be heard by clicking on this link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?bhn4y608tez7207

Andy will also be posting a new video to his blog at www.andyfantuz.com soon. I asked Andy what Rider fans' reaction has been to the potential of him signing in the NFL.

"The fans have been great," Fantuz said. "I get some smart comments about 'don't leave, don't leave' and this and that but overall people are supportive and I really appreciate that. I'll never forget what the fans here have done for me and I will continue to be a part of all that's going on in Rider Nation. To have that type of support where fans can truly be happy for me or hope for the best for me is a nice feeling.

"In saying that, I love playing for the Riders and it's gonna take a good opportunity for me to leave what I have here. It's just a blast playing here and I like every part of playing here.

"Just thanks for all the support and you can stay update with me at www.andyfantuz.com. I'll be posting videos after each of my workouts and I'll be answering fans' questions weekly along with new blogs. Just stay up to date with that and we'll go from there!"

2011 CFL FREE AGENTS

The CFL free agent list
Lowell Ullrich at the Vancouver Province has put together a list of CFL free agents.
I'm sure he won't mind sharing...

2011 CFL FREE AGENTS
As of Feb. 15

BC (2)

S Tad Crawford
QB Jarious Jackson

Calgary (13)

CB Dwight Anderson
CB Brandon Browner
S Wes Lysack
LB Keon Raymond
DT Tom Johnson
DL Terrarius George
DT DeVone Claybrooks
OL Ben Archibald
WR Romby Bryant
SB Rob Cote
LS Randy Chevrier
WR Ryan Thelwell
DB Milton Collins

Edmonton (7)

SB Kelly Campbell
DL Walter Curry
WR/KR Skyler Green
S Jason Nugent
LB Tim St. Pierre
DB Chris Thompson
K Justin Medlock

Saskatchewan (11)

LB Mike McCullough
DL Kitwana Jones
DB Lance Frazier
DB Chris McKenzie
LB Sean Lucas
RB Neal Hughes
OL Joel Bell
OL Jeremy O'Day
OL Gene Makowsky
OL Wayne Smith
DB Daniel Francis

Winnipeg (9)

RB Yvenson Bernard
C Obby Khan
DB Jonathan Hefney
DL Dorian Smith
LB Joe Lobendahn
FB Jon Oosterhuis
RB Daryl Stephenson
S Shawn Gallant
DB Keyou Craver

Toronto (10)

DL Adriano Belli
OL Shannon Boatman
SB Chad Rempel
OL Jeff Keeping
ST Bryan Crawford
DT Kevin Huntley
DL Ronald Flemons
DL Eric Taylor
SB Jeremaine Copeland
DB Lin-J Shell

Hamilton (8)

OL George Hudson
OL Alexandre Gauthier
OL Brian Ramsay
DB Geoff Tisdale
DL Jermaine Reid
SB Chris Bauman
SB Adam Nicolson
ST Steve Schmidt

Montreal (14)

QB Anthony Calvillo
SB Ben Cahoon
FB Avon Cobourne
WR SJ Green
DB Jerald Brown
K Damon Duval
LB Chip Cox
ST Andrew Hawkins
SB Danny Desriveaux
DL J.P. Bekasiak
QB Chris Leak
LS Martin Bedard
DE Shawn Mayne
KR Larry Taylor

THIS CERTAINLY IS STRANGE

By Bob Hughes for EXIT Realty Fusion

What have the Saskatchewan Roughriders done three times in the last four years?If you said, appear in three Grey Cup games, you are correct.

But that’s not the answer.The answer is, three times in the last four years the Roughriders, Canada’s most envied organization, has had to go searching for a new head coach.

Ken Austin came here in 2007. He worked a miracle no other coach in the game had been able to work. He made a star out of quarterback Kerry Joseph, who hadn’t done anything before that Grey Cup win and hasn’t done anything since. Before the champagne had dried, Austin had left the scene for the green, green grass of home, a job at Mississippi.In came Ken Miller.

In three years as head coach, Miller got the Riders to back-to-back Grey Cup games on the strength of quarterback Darian Durant. They lost them both, in 2009 on the biggest miscalculation in CFL history, and this year because they didn’t have the offensive firepower in the second half. Both losses were to Montreal.

So, what does Miller do less than a week after the Grey Cup ended? He surprises quite a few people by announcing that he was resigning as head coach and, at the age of 69, would exclusively be the vice president in charge of football operations.

Normally, coaches who win Grey Cups don’t even consider leaving their teams unless they get a better offer. But, here, it’s like they can’t wait to get out of the hotseat. And, it’s as if CEO Jim Hopson has developed some sort of rent-a-coach program that keeps producing winning teams and Grey Cup contenders.

Go figure.In some ways, likely most ways, it’s flukey the way the Riders lost Austin and Miller. Austin said he had always wanted to coach at Mississippi, a school he played at. So, it was understandable when he jumped at the job. But a year later he had left the school he always wanted to coach at and went to something called Cornell University as a head coach.

Fair enough.Miller was already an official senior citizen when he took over from Austin. So, he was not going to be a long-term head coach. He lasted three years as head coach before the drain on his mind, body and commitment was too much to endure a fourth year. So, he quit.

Somebody asked him why he didn’t “gut it out” for one more year and try to win the Cup. “That,” he replied, “was what I did this year.”It seems logical, then, that Miller had decided before the start of the 2010 season that this likely would be his swan song.

Was he setting the table for his successor when he hired Doug Berry as his offensive coach this season and gave him two titles. Offensive coordinator. And, more telling, Assistant Head Coach.

What does that mean or indicate? It is a promise of sorts.Berry has been a head coach before, in Winnipeg, where he took the Bombers to the 2007 Grey Cup game, representing a woefully weak Eastern Division of the CFL.The Rider Nation is not sold on Berry becoming the head coach here, mostly because of perceived flaws in offensive coaching this season.

The Riders’ offence never really seemed to settle on just what exactly they were all about.So, Doug Berry should not be an automatic choice as head coach, and if Miller is the guy making the final recommendation, then he has to put his loyalties aside, and do what is best for (a) Darian Durant and (b) the team.

There can be no other way.Just as quickly as Austin turned the Riders into a powerhouse of sorts, it all can turn the other way just as quickly. And, we all know how long it can take to salvage a sinking ship.

This choice of head coach will be one of the most critical the team has made in a long time. And, every avenue has to be thoroughly explored before that final decision is arrived at.

Perry Lefko - THOUGHTS ON THE ROUGHRIDERS - SPORTSNET.CA

A passing thought on the team that wins at the gate but has come up short in the past two Grey Cups.

Having the Roughriders in the Cup guarantees the city hosting the game a huge turnout, which translates into big business.

To use an expression, the Roughrider fans "travel well," meaning they come out in droves and spend, whether it’s for hotel occupancy, all manner of food and beverage, merchandise and, oh yes, tickets.

Back in 2007, when the Toronto Argonauts lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Final, they lost out on that rare opportunity of playing the Grey Cup in their home city.

It could have been a really big disaster for the Argos because B.C. and Saskatchewan played in the West Final. A Grey Cup featuring Winnipeg and B.C. would have had considerably less appeal than Winnipeg and Saskatchewan (even if by quirky CFL standards Winnipeg is in the East and it produced an all-West championship game).

When the Riders won, it meant tickets would be scooped up at ridiculous prices, hotels would be packed and the local businesses in downtown Toronto would do well.

For the past two years, the Riders organization has leased storefront space in the downtown area of Grey Cup cities and hawked all kinds of merchandise. It is one of the reasons the Green Riders are No. 3 overall in merchandise sold by Canadian sports franchises.

The Riders could hawk used Kleenex with the team logo and make money. We would like to see the team sell some toilet paper with the emblem, but maybe shilling something with their opponents’ logo may have more practicality.

Whatever.

It’s amazing to think that back in 1997, this franchise was on the verge of bankruptcy. The CFL, which was also in dire straights at the time, needed financial help from the National Football League with a $4 million loan to stay afloat.

The Riders received an immediate infusion of $500,000 to have operating capital. Those telethons they did only went so far.
It was for that reason that the Riders annually didn’t do well. They didn’t have the money to keep their good players or attract free agents. The CFL salary cap was a misnomer because teams could pay players under the table. Because the Riders were a community-owned franchise, they had to account for all money spent. Playing for the Riders meant virtually no chance of even making it to the playoffs.

As for the Grey Cup, well, that was for other teams.

The privately-owned teams could spend under the table and hide the money trail. Is it any coincidence the Argos were able to pay free agent Doug Flutie $1 million in 1996 and win back-to-back Cups?
The Argos needed Flutie and the CFL needed a strong Argo team, but even though the Argos won back-to-back Grey Cups, beating the Riders one year, it did not equate to anything off the field. The franchise still lost tons of money.

The rise of the Roughriders in recent years is in direct relationship to the CFL’s hard cap. The Riders were whacked right away after going over the cap by less than $100,000 in the first year of the cap’s enforcement, which they attributed to a mass of injuries.

A strong Riders’ team helps season-ticket sales, creating sold-out games, which in turn drives merchandise. It’s a business modal that can be analyzed and appreciated for what it is compared to what it had been back in the hellish, free-for-all, drunken-sailor like spending by some CFL teams that just couldn’t help themselves.

Does that remind you of any other leagues?

A healthy Roughriders franchise also helps TV ratings, which the CFL needs to sell its product. Inasmuch as it is a ticket-driven league, TV ratings can be monopolized in a variety of ways.

When you add all of this together, the CFL needs the Riders to be competitive. There will come a point when the Riders won’t be in the Cup, which they’ve done three of the last four years, and they may not be as competitive.

The Roughriders’ faithful go back many decades. They will never die. Literally. Their loyalty is passed from one generation to another.

The city and the province appreciate and understand the Roughriders.
They are as much a staple out there as grain.

At some point when the Riders slip in the standings, things won’t be as rosy financially and, in turn, it will hurt the club’s bottom line and carry over to the league itself.

So last week when the Riders fans were given the commissioner’s award, which didn’t sit well with the French media that felt the Montreal Alouettes legitimately deserved some props for their faithful, it was a recognition of not only 100 years as a franchise, but their undying loyalty.

Rider fans "ooze pride," to use the commissioner’s words, but they also
ooze greenbacks.

RIDERS FREE AGENT LIST

The following is an unofficial list of players who are eligible to become free agents this off-season and those entering the option year of their respective contracts . . .

Free agents: DB Lance Frazier, DE Kitwana Jones, DB Chris McKenzie, LB Sean Lucas, RB Neal Hughes, OT Joel Bell, C Jeremy O‚Day, G Gene Makowsky, LB Mike McCullough.

Option year: LB Jerrell Freeman, CB Omarr Morgan, RB Wes Cates, RB Hugh Charles, LB Tad Kornegay, SB Jason Clermont, SB Weston Dressler, SB Andy Fantuz, DT Keith Shologan, DT Marcus Adams.