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.