MILLER INTERVIEW - FEB 11th

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KEN MILLER NOMINATED FOR COACH OF THE YEAR

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Ken Miller is a finalist for the CFL's coach-of-the-year award.

Miller, former Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Marcel Bellefeuille (Hamilton Tiger-Cats) and Marc Trestman (Montreal Alouettes) are the three nominees. The award is to be presented March 5 in Edmonton.

Miller was also a finalist a year ago, when the Calgary Stampeders' John Hufnagel was named coach-of-the-year. The Roughriders' Kent Austin was honoured as coach-of-the-year one year earlier.

The 68-year-old Miller guided the 2009 Roughriders to a 10-7-1 record, which gave them first place in the West Division for the first time since 1976. The Roughriders advanced to the Grey Cup before losing 28-27 to Montreal — which went 15-3-0 in its second season under Trestman. Under Bellefeuille, Hamilton went 8-8-0 (good for second place in the East Division) and made the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

"All three of these gentlemen are a tremendous credit to our league and their organizations, leading their teams to successful 2009 seasons on the field, while displaying their customary class on the sidelines and in the community,'' CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a prepared statement.

"We're thrilled they have been nominated for this prestigious award by the Football Reporters of Canada, and we're very pleased that all three will be back in the CFL for the upcoming 2010 season. I want to congratulate them on behalf of our board of governors, and our fans across the country."

The three finalists were nominated by 50 voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada.

STEVEN JYLES....WHERE WILL HE GO

It’s believed a hacker manipulated a link through the CFL database and added Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Steven Jyles to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ roster.
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post files

REGINA — Thanks to a technical flaw somewhere, quarterback Steven Jyles joined the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers this week.

"Whaaat?" Jyles, who spent the past two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, said Tuesday from his off-season home in Baton Rouge, La. "I didn't know nothing about that."

It's believed someone manipulated a link through the CFL database and added Jyles to the Winnipeg roster. That would be a bit of a shock, since Jyles isn't due to become a free agent until Monday and therefore can't sign with the Bombers — or any team other than the

Roughriders — before then.
"I wasn't too concerned because I just talked to Paul (LaPolice on Monday)," said Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman, referring to the former Saskatchewan offensive co-ordinator who was named the Bombers' new head coach Friday. "Winnipeg, with the people they've employed there, would not be the team to tamper."

As a result, the 27-year-old Jyles is still a Roughrider. The ironic thing is that many CFL observers expect the Bombers to take a run at him when he does become a free agent.
"Right now, I'm just waiting to see who's going to offer me a job," said Jyles, who spent the 2009 season as the backup to Saskatchewan starter Darian Durant. "I talked to Coach (Ken) Miller one time, but we didn't really talk about me re-signing ... It was more of an end-of-the-season talk."

Taman — who talked with Jyles' representative, Ferrell Elliott, on Tuesday — suggested the Roughriders would like to bring back the veteran quarterback.

"He knows the system, he's been here, he a good teammate and he's got ability," Taman said.

"We've got Dalton (Bell) and the other guys (Graham Harrell and Cole Bergquist, both of whom were rookies last season), but the more the better.

"If we can (re-sign Jyles), great. If not, we'll go to the next guy. Preferably we'd try to retain him, but I'm sure he'll be a free agent Monday, so we'll see where it goes."

That's the attitude Jyles has taken as well.

"My thing is to just let it happen," said the product of Independence, La. "Everybody wants to play, but I really like Saskatchewan. I really like the fans and the chemistry with the team. But if someone called me and asked me to start, I'd probably have to take a look at that."

After competing with Durant for the No. 1 job in training camp, Jyles settled in as the backup. He finished the season with 25 completions in 40 pass attempts for 290 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed 24 times for 102 yards with four majors.
Durant — the West Division's all-star quarterback in 2009 — appears to be entrenched as the starter. If Jyles were to return, it's likely that he again would be the backup.

"The thing we have in Saskatchewan is pretty good," he said. "The way I looked at it last year is we have two guys who are ready to play. If one goes down, we've got another who's ready to step in and play."

Having said that, he indicated he likely would listen to offers. Teams such as the Bombers and Toronto Argonauts may be in the market for new starting pivots.

"It's my fifth year in the league," said Jyles, who spent the 2006 and '07 seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos before being acquired in February of 2008 for defensive end Fred Perry. "I feel I've been well-coached through the years, so I feel I can go out there and perform.

"Maybe I should see what free agency is about. Even if I go back to Saskatchewan, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to see if doors open up for me."

ihamilton@leaderpost.canwest.com

GRAHAM HARREL UPDATE

By Murray McCormick Tue, Feb 9 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

I just got off the phone with Jon Persch, who is Graham Harrell’s agent.Persch wanted to clarify Harrell’s status and the media reports that the Riders’ quarterback was giving up football to become a coach at Oklahoma State University.

Persch stressed that Harrell hasn’t quit football and has every intention of attending training camp this season. Persch explained that Harrell is serving as a consultant during the offseason with OSU.OSU’s head coach Mike Grundy recently hired Texas Tech’s Dana Holgorsen as the Cowboys offensive co-ordinator.

Holgorson contacted Harrell, who was just hanging out in Texas, about working with OSU’s quarterbacks. Holgorson was the offensive co-ordinator during Harrell’s record-breaking seasons with Red Raiders.“Mike Grundy walked into a meeting this morning and asked Dana what was up with Graham,’’ Persch said. “Mike said they were getting phone calls from the Canadian media about him being a coach with OSU.“All Graham is doing is helping them install the offence.

It’s a brand-new offence with a 180-degree shift from the offence Oklahoma had been running. They just asked him to help and tutor quarterbacks. He’s not a member of the OSU football staff.’’Harrell signed with the Riders in 2009 for two years and an option. He was the team’s fifth quarterback and didn’t see any game action. Persch said that his client wants to play football and wanted to let all know that reports of his client quitting professional football weren’t true.“As far as we are concerned, he’s still member of the Roughriders and he’s planning on coming up there,’’ said Persch.

“He hasn’t quit football or the CFL to become a member of the Oklahoma State coaching staff.’’

RIDER STARS BEING SEIZED !

Stevie Baggs has signed with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Leader-Post file

REGINA — The Baggs are packed.

Stevie Baggs, a CFL West Division all-star defensive end with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2009, has signed with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Not only that, Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice is poised to become the next head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Such is the price of success.

When rival teams are poaching, they typically pay scant attention to the doormats. The most accomplished organizations are routinely raided.

In the NFL, for example, disciples of Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick have been widely coveted by organizations with holes to fill. Given the demand for players with a winning pedigree, anyone with an association to Saskatchewan is likely to be courted.

The Roughriders should derive a measure of solace from the fact that other teams woo their personnel. However, that does not address the immediate problem: What now?

That question has been frequently posed in recent years. Leading up to the 2007 season, the exodus included tailback Kenton Keith, guard Andrew Greene, linebacker Jackie Mitchell, defensive tackle Nate Davis and cornerback Omarr Morgan. One year later, the Roughriders were faced with having to replace luminaries such as head coach Kent Austin, quarterback Kerry Joseph, tailback/returner Corey Holmes and linebacker Reggie Hunt. Last year's list of departees was highlighted by defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall, offensive line coach Mike Gibson, and all-star linebackers Anton McKenzie and Maurice Lloyd.

Baggs and fellow defensive end John Chick (now of the Indianapolis Colts) are the latest all-stars to find employment elsewhere. On the football operations side, two assistant coaches (LaPolice and offensive line coach Bob Wylie) and general manager Eric Tillman have left the organization. Brendan Taman was hired to succeed Tillman, the architect of Grey Cup finalists in 2007 and 2009.

Under Tillman, the Roughriders demonstrated an uncanny ability to address every void — even when it seemed incomprehensible that they could possibly withstand the double whammy of losing Joseph (the CFL's reigning most outstanding player) and Austin (coach-of-the-year) early in 2008.

Now the onus is on the Roughriders, under Taman and head coach/vice-president of football operations Ken Miller, to continue to be resilient.

Taman's player-personnel acumen will be put to the test as he strives to replace Baggs and Chick. The latter was named the CFL's top defensive player in 2009. The in-houses candidates are Joe Sykes, Willie Evans and Kitwana Jones. Given that Jones is a situational player, it is a roll of the dice to think that Sykes and Evans will both develop into every-down replacements for Baggs and Chick. Then again, who expected Baggs to be such a revelation in 2009? Chick came out of nowhere two years earlier.

As for the vacancy created by LaPolice's well-deserved ascent to the head-coaching ranks, it would be most prudent and practical for the Roughriders to promote from within.

The most obvious candidate is quarterbacks coach Jamie Barresi, who worked closely and productively with Darian Durant in 2009. Durant was named a West Division all-star late in his first full season as a starter. His rapid progression is a testament to the work done by the studious Barresi, who was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' offensive co-ordinator in 2004 and 2005.

It is virtually important for the Roughriders to maintain continuity on offence, to the extent that is possible with LaPolice out of the equation. Keep in mind that Miller was the Roughriders' offensive co-ordinator during the Grey Cup-winning season of 2007. Although Miller does not have any designs on revisiting that role, he could still have an imprint on the strategy (as Austin did when Miller called the vast majority of the plays in 2007).

By retaining Barresi, elevating Marcus Crandell to quarterbacks coach and prevailing upon the wisdom of Miller, the Roughriders have the necessary expertise to ensure there is continuity.
The alternative is to bring in someone from outside the organization and potentially force

Durant to adjust to a new scheme, just as he is becoming a star. The Riders could always search for a coach who can embrace the extant system, but how realistic is that? Why place restrictions on a new coach?

All things considered, the best call is to let Jamie Barresi make the calls.

rvanstone@leaderpost.canwest.com

STEVIE BAGGS SIGNS WITH CARDINALS

The NFL's Arizona Cardinals have signed free agent DE Stevie Baggs formerly of the Roughriders. His agent Chad Speck spoke with 620 CKRM about the signing this morning:"They didn't require a workout. They just brought him in for a physical and they watched a lot of tape on him. We've had a lot of dialogue and finally we came to an agreement.""I think a lot of these guys' dreams are to get back to the NFL if they're from the States. He has the opportunity to be an outside linebacker/rush linebacker in passing situations and the Cardinals are thin at that position right now and he feels he has a great opportunity to make an NFL team."Read all about it here:http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-1/Cardinals-Baggs-a-Pass-Rusher/82d6e661-75e2-497b-be9e-58c1dae11e13

PAUL LAPOLICE NEW BOMBER HEAD COACH

WINNIPEG - Paul LaPolice is the new head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.LaPolice formally accepted the terms of a deal with the club Thursday morning and will be introduced as the new coach at a press conference on Friday. Sources with both the Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where LaPolice has spent the last three years – the last two as offensive coordinator – have confirmed the news...