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The Calgarian coaching carousel continues...
By GREG HARRIS, MOP Squad Sports CFL Editor
Nov 16, 2007 - 7:07:37 PM |
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Farewell Tom Higgins, we hardly knew ye.
Oh wait, that was Matt Dunigan. Nevermind.
Yesterday, the Calgary Stampeders announced that they would be parting ways with their coach of three seasons, making him an offer of executive VP, which he, not surprisingly, turned down. After all, offering a fired coach an unimportant front office job is kinda like telling a fired CEO that he can stick around and sweep the floors, if he wants. Thanks, but no thanks.
Higgins does deserve credit for rescuing the Stamps from the post-Buonosian Barker/Dunigan apocalypse, bringing them back to the playoffs with back-to-back double-digit win seasons, and hosting two playoff games on home soil. Problem is, they lost them both. And while Henry Burris woulda been sent packing after last year, if I had any say in the matter, the coaching staff does need to take some of the blame when the team comes up short three times in a row. Especially since this year, where their 7-10-1 record proved that the third time definitely wasn't the charm.
Yes, there were a lot of new bodies on defence. You can't blame Higgins for that, although the salary cap, and GM Jim Barker are definitely blamable. Barker's a much better GM than a coach, mind you. As for Matt Dunigan, well, he only did two things right; discovering Joffrey Reynolds, and getting the team to play good defence. In that regard, the '07 Stamps weren't very Duniganesque--the defence was terrible. If the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have one thing they can hang their hats on this year, it's that their defence was better than ours. They also took less penalties, too.
Now, when your team is taking a ton of penalties on a week-in, week-out basis, it means that either you've gotta buncha idiots on the field, or you're lacking in discipline. And having an undisciplined squad reflects back on the coaching staff. Defensive co-ordinator Deeny Creehan was let go this season, and rightfully so. He might wanna leave 2007 blank on his resume. As for Higgins, well, he's been fired for less in the past. Keep in mind that he came here from Edmonton after the Eskies finished in second-place. How ironic is it that a team who fires a coach for finishing second is now putting up with back-to-back last-place finishes from Danny Maciocia, something that hasn't happened in Edmonton since the Summer of Love? I dunno, he must give good head or something, eh Rick LaLacheur?
Anyways, I think that Higgins showed the team why he deserved to be fired in the last two games of the season. He certainly showed me, at least. Scoring in the last five minutes, not going for two, and losing by one point to Montreal was bad enough--having the same thing happen the next week against BC, well, like George Dubya Bush says, "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice--ya don't get fooled again." The Stamps brass weren't about to be fooled again, and that's why there were rumours of John Hufnagel taking over before the playoff game in Saskatchewan. The loss in Regina, due in part to an offsides on a late onside kick, well, that was the icing on the cake.
Can Hufnagel bring the Stamps back to the promised land? Well, he did coach under Wally Buono for seven years. For a city that's under the Curse of the Bambuono, perhaps the best guy to be the next Wally is the guy who used to be next to him. If not, then, well, how'd you like a front office job, Johnny? Jim Barker could use an assistant. As for Tom Higgins, who says he'd like to stay in coaching: Hey Tom, I hear that Hamilton needs a... well, what don't they need?
CFL Editor Greg Harris promises that this really is his last weekly column of '07. If you're interested in writing for him in '08, please send your resume, clippings, and a 1,500 word cover letter explaining why the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a disgrace to Canada's national identity to gruesomegreg@toohightogetitright.com. Non-serious applicants only.
Copyright 2007 - MOP Squad Sports
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