Interesting Article by Terry Jones in todays Edmonton Sun
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Co...44746-sun.html
I personally think it's going to be Richie Hall. Specific clues about it.
He doesn't believe in "hot" coaches: Chris Jones
Not going off success in the last 12 months, someone whose handled adversity: Richie Hall fits. He's had a great defense for years, regardless of coaching changes, Grey Cup wins, losing seasons, Crack head general mangers, etc.
The chubby little elf returned to the his northern locale for the weekend to check his list and check it twice, to see who would be nice to replace himself as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.
General manager Danny Maciocia, by the end of the day today, will be down from a long list of 10 to his short list of two or three to interview a second time.
Four years ago, in the one and only time he'd ever been interviewed for a head coaching position, Maciocia got the job and won the 2005 Grey Cup. Now, after getting an education in the following three seasons, he's about to use the knowledge to hire his own head coach.
DIFFERENT CHOICE NOW
If Maciocia had been named GM instead of head coach four years ago, before he experienced life in the job dealing with hostile fans and constant criticism after becoming the first Eskimos coach to miss the playoffs in 35 years, it's doubtful if he'd be choosing the same head coach then as he will be choosing now.
"When you think you're ready to be a head coach in this league, you are not really ready," he said.
"You think you are 100% ready until you are in the line of fire.
"So you have to sit there in the interview process and ask how they are going to handle their first loss, two losses in a row, how they're going to handle the media when they go after you when you're facing adversity," he laughed.
Norm Kimball hired Pete Kettela. Hugh Campbell hired Kay Stevenson.
Maciocia has to get it right the first time.
It is my contention that there is no sport where so many people you think you know as an assistant coach can change so dramatically into someone else when they finally become a head coach.
"It's true," says Maciocia. "Some change into a totally different person when they get the title of head coach and the exposure that goes with it. They end up doing things you'd never think they'd do. Others stay the same individual. What you see is what you get.
"You have to determine which guy won't change.
"I think there's also the belief that offensive or defensive co-ordinators are better suited to become head coaches than position coaches. I don't believe that.
"I also don't believe in 'hot' coaches, guys coming off one championship.
"I'm not going to go off success in the last 12 months. I want to have seen how somebody has fared over seasons including when they've faced some adversity."
I'm quite certain there are clues in there somewhere.
One thing for sure. Maciocia went into this with his eyes wide open.
And it's been an interesting process to get to the point where he'll be today.
"There's more than Xs and Os. It's how the new head coach is going to fit not only our organization but Edmonton and the challenges unique to both," said Maciocia.
REPLACE HIMSELF
The first four days after the press conference to announce that he was going to replace himself as head coach as CEO Rick LeLacheur added the title General Manager to his job as director of football operations, Maciocia put together a detailed questionnaire.
"I talked to people who had done this before. I even obtained a copy of the questionnaire the New York Giants used to hire Tom Coughlin by general manager Jerry Reese who is a friend of Paul Jones," he said of the Eskimos U.S. scout and his relationship with the man who built the defending Super Bowl champions.
"I created a 15-page questionnaire along with an assignment to rank our personnel, where they'd be comfortable and where we need to be upgraded.
VIABLE CANDIDATES
"I sat down with Rick and produced a list of the names of 10 viable candidates and kept it at that. We didn't want to interview people for the sake of interviewing people."
In the first round, everybody got an interview and most of the interviews were four to six hours.
None were less than four hours. Other than current Eskimo assistants, Maciocia visited the candidates instead of having prospective coaches parade through the office. He finished up the last few of those returning from the CFL meetings this week in Las Vegas.
It'll be different in the next day or two than it was when Maciocia was hired.
"I don't know how many times I got called in," he said.
That won't happen here even if, right now, he contends "it's too close to call."
Maciocia said there will be two or three who will now get second interviews as he now brings LeLacheur into the process.
Maybe you'll see a Richie Hall walk into the Eskimos office Monday and/or a Noel Thorpe go down the hall Tuesday. Whatever, you'll almost certainly have the 18th head coach in the 60 year history of the Edmonton Eskimos by the end of the week.
General manager Danny Maciocia, by the end of the day today, will be down from a long list of 10 to his short list of two or three to interview a second time.
Four years ago, in the one and only time he'd ever been interviewed for a head coaching position, Maciocia got the job and won the 2005 Grey Cup. Now, after getting an education in the following three seasons, he's about to use the knowledge to hire his own head coach.
DIFFERENT CHOICE NOW
If Maciocia had been named GM instead of head coach four years ago, before he experienced life in the job dealing with hostile fans and constant criticism after becoming the first Eskimos coach to miss the playoffs in 35 years, it's doubtful if he'd be choosing the same head coach then as he will be choosing now.
"When you think you're ready to be a head coach in this league, you are not really ready," he said.
"You think you are 100% ready until you are in the line of fire.
"So you have to sit there in the interview process and ask how they are going to handle their first loss, two losses in a row, how they're going to handle the media when they go after you when you're facing adversity," he laughed.
Norm Kimball hired Pete Kettela. Hugh Campbell hired Kay Stevenson.
Maciocia has to get it right the first time.
It is my contention that there is no sport where so many people you think you know as an assistant coach can change so dramatically into someone else when they finally become a head coach.
"It's true," says Maciocia. "Some change into a totally different person when they get the title of head coach and the exposure that goes with it. They end up doing things you'd never think they'd do. Others stay the same individual. What you see is what you get.
"You have to determine which guy won't change.
"I think there's also the belief that offensive or defensive co-ordinators are better suited to become head coaches than position coaches. I don't believe that.
"I also don't believe in 'hot' coaches, guys coming off one championship.
"I'm not going to go off success in the last 12 months. I want to have seen how somebody has fared over seasons including when they've faced some adversity."
I'm quite certain there are clues in there somewhere.
One thing for sure. Maciocia went into this with his eyes wide open.
And it's been an interesting process to get to the point where he'll be today.
"There's more than Xs and Os. It's how the new head coach is going to fit not only our organization but Edmonton and the challenges unique to both," said Maciocia.
REPLACE HIMSELF
The first four days after the press conference to announce that he was going to replace himself as head coach as CEO Rick LeLacheur added the title General Manager to his job as director of football operations, Maciocia put together a detailed questionnaire.
"I talked to people who had done this before. I even obtained a copy of the questionnaire the New York Giants used to hire Tom Coughlin by general manager Jerry Reese who is a friend of Paul Jones," he said of the Eskimos U.S. scout and his relationship with the man who built the defending Super Bowl champions.
"I created a 15-page questionnaire along with an assignment to rank our personnel, where they'd be comfortable and where we need to be upgraded.
VIABLE CANDIDATES
"I sat down with Rick and produced a list of the names of 10 viable candidates and kept it at that. We didn't want to interview people for the sake of interviewing people."
In the first round, everybody got an interview and most of the interviews were four to six hours.
None were less than four hours. Other than current Eskimo assistants, Maciocia visited the candidates instead of having prospective coaches parade through the office. He finished up the last few of those returning from the CFL meetings this week in Las Vegas.
It'll be different in the next day or two than it was when Maciocia was hired.
"I don't know how many times I got called in," he said.
That won't happen here even if, right now, he contends "it's too close to call."
Maciocia said there will be two or three who will now get second interviews as he now brings LeLacheur into the process.
Maybe you'll see a Richie Hall walk into the Eskimos office Monday and/or a Noel Thorpe go down the hall Tuesday. Whatever, you'll almost certainly have the 18th head coach in the 60 year history of the Edmonton Eskimos by the end of the week.
He doesn't believe in "hot" coaches: Chris Jones
Not going off success in the last 12 months, someone whose handled adversity: Richie Hall fits. He's had a great defense for years, regardless of coaching changes, Grey Cup wins, losing seasons, Crack head general mangers, etc.
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