Dave Campbell
CFL.ca
It was probably the worst kept secret in the Canadian Football League and perhaps in Canadian sports this past week. On Friday, the Eskimos officially announced the hiring of Kavis Reed as the team’s 19th head coach in franchise history. General manager Eric Tillman made the announcement at a news conference.
“This is a great day, it’s been a very detailed process,” explained Tillman. “Obviously I talked to a lot of good coaches, some strong candidates but there’s no doubt in my mind that the right man is sitting to my left. He’s a man of character, experience not only in this league but knowing this franchise and what it stands for.”
Reed will be making his sixth coaching stop on his journey as a CFL coach, Edmonton is his first head coaching gig. Reed served as an assistant coach for the Toronto Argonauts, the Ottawa Renegades, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and most recently the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He played cornerback for the Eskimos from 1995 to 2000. He lives in Edmonton year round so he knows the market and the high expectations fans and media place on the football team.
Eskimo GM Eric Tillman (left) officially announced Kavis Reed as the 19th head coach in club history on Friday.
“I understand the tradition here, I understand the expectations here,” said Reed. “I understand that we’re going to build a culture that has been reflective of the Eskimos of the past where you are afraid of being the weak link and you’re excited to be a part of the process. I have to say to you right now that I’m prepared to roll up my sleeves and help restore this franchise.”
Reed fit the bill for Tillman because the two know each other very well. They’ve worked together on two previous occasions with Ottawa and Saskatchewan.
Reed’s most famous claim to fame for all the wrong reasons happened at the end of the 2009 Grey Cup Game in Calgary. The infamous 13th man which cost the Roughriders the Grey Cup. Tillman says it didn’t get any worse than what the team dealt with at the end of that game but how Reed handled the disappointment is what impressed the Eskimos general manager the most.
“I watched Kavis handle an incredibly painful situation with great dignity,” lamented Tillman. “Those of us who were with that team and a part of that family. We know the truth about what happened, where the mistake was made and we don’t point fingers. Kavis stood up and took responsibility and accountability for a mistake that was not his. And that’s leadership and that’s character.”
It’s well known across the Canadian Football League about Reed’s passion for Edmonton. Even during his various coaching stops, he would not stop short of telling people his affection for the city he calls home.
“When I came here (in 1995), I understood this is the flagship franchise of the CFL,” Reed said. “The way the Eskimos do things and those things have always been a part of me and you cannot take that out of me. Once an Eskimo, always an Eskimo.”
Reed is the first hire since Tom Higgins who knows of the Eskimo way of doing things. Danny Maciocia and to a certain extent Richie Hall tried their best to win but ultimately fell short leading to the demise of both.
Edmonton without a doubt is the toughest market to work, and play of all the teams in the Canadian Football League. The fans and media want you to win here and win often. Lately the team has been mired in mediocrity and let’s take it one step further, failure. As the hiring of a new general manager was critically important for President and CEO Rick Lelacheur to make, Eric Tillman needed to ensure the fan base he hired the right man as coach.
Tillman isn’t afraid to take risks. He hired an unknown in Dave Ritchie back in 1993 with the B.C. Lions and the team won the Grey Cup a season later. In 2007, Tillman hired Kent Austin to be the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the team captured the Grey Cup. Tillman seems to have an eye for this sort of thing.
Reed will now watch film of every play the Eskimos made during the 2010 season. He’ll also talk with the current coaching staff and finalize the new staff some time next month.
Whether this is a good hiring or not remains to be a seen. The Eskimos know they’re dealing with a jaded fan base and winning them back will not be easy.
Of course winning tends to help – funny how that works in sports.
Note: Eric Tillman says the coaching staff will be named in the New Year. Tillman also says the club continues to work on a re-structured contract for quarterback Ricky Ray.
