The Toronto Argonauts search for a Head Coach being led by GM Jim Popp seems to be moving along rather quickly and things are constantly changing by the day. Many still aren’t happy the Argonauts are even in this situation just one full year removed from recently fired Marc Trestman winning the Grey Cup. But, Popp, Bill Manning, and the Argos are here and likely will have a new Head Coach in place soon.
Inconsistency at Head Coach
Since Michael Pinball Clemons last year as the coach of the Argonauts, the list and years look as follows:
- Rich Stubler – 2008
- Don Matthews – 2008
- Bart Andrus – 2009
- Jim Barker – 2010 to 2011
- Scott Milanovich – 2012 to 2016
- Marc Trestman – 2017 to 2018
Whoever ends up taking over for Trestman as the Argonauts next Head Coach will be the seventh coach in ten years (entering year 11). There really hasn’t been much stability since Pinball other than 90 games total under Scott Milanovich. It was unclear as to if Milanovich would be returning in 2017 but he resigned and took a quarterbacks coach job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Milanovich has since made his way up to the interim offensive coordinator for the Jaguars.
Regardless, there has been very little stability at Head Coach for the Argonauts and that isn’t necessarily a very good thing. The next coach of the Argonauts should be hired and the front office should be thinking that this is their guy for years to come to create a culture of winning. After all, the Argonauts need to start winning consistently before they even think of drawing more fans to BMO Field.
The Candidates
That all leads us to the rumoured names who have interviewed for the Argonauts job with their most recent team and job:
- Devone Claybrooks – Calgary Stampeders DC
- Paul LaPolice – Winnipeg Blue Bombers OC
- Noel Thorpe – Ottawa RedBlacks DC
- Corey Chamblin – Toronto Argonauts DC (2017)
- Jamie Elizondo – Ottawa RedBlacks OC
- Tommy Condell – Toronto Argonauts OC
That is the known list to this point and it is unclear if there are any other interviews scheduled or ones that have occurred to this point.
There have already been some developments surrounding a few candidates the Argonauts have interviewed. Paul LaPolice withdrew from consideration and it’s reportedly because the Argonauts want the next coach to retain a lot of the current staff from Trestman’s crew. Though unconfirmed, Devone Claybrooks is apparently going to be named the next coach of the B.C. Lions. Corey Chamblin was brought in and was sitting courtside at the Toronto Raptors game Monday night (December 3rd) with Jim Popp. There isn’t much news surrounding Thorpe, Elizondo, or in-house candidate Condell.
Corey Chamblin?
It’s certainly seeming more and more like the Argonauts are heading towards a team led by 2017 defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin. While Chamblin’s had CFL success and knows quite a few of the current Argonauts core, it screams a risky hire due to the fact Chamblin didn’t wish to return after a Grey Cup win to be closer to family. Chamblin seems like a potential flight risk, even as a Head Coach and while he would clearly be committed, it just screams another short-term hire.
The Argonauts have had a recent run of offensive-minded Head Coaches in Milanovich and Trestman, so it makes sense they would be looking defensive minded. Add that onto the fact the Argonauts defence was terrible under Mike Archer. They also legitimately believe Tommy Condell is a great offensive mind who can work with James Franklin or whoever the starting quarterback in 2019 is.
Finally, the other risk of Chamblin is how his tenure ended with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It’s reported by many in Regina that while Chamblin was a good Head Coach, as soon as he won the 2013 Grey Cup, he came back in 2014 and essentially had an extremely inflated ego and lost his mind. Not sure Argonauts fans want that around their team. Perhaps things would be different and an older version of Corey Chamblin wouldn’t have that happen again, but the potential hire seems destined to happen. That could go good or bad and quickly to either way. It’s a risk, but at least Chamblin knows the CFL and has had CFL success.
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