Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
The 2013 season is one of great change in Hamilton. With a new coaching staff led by Head Coach Kent Austin, both the offensive and defensive systems are completely different from 2012, and so the first week of training camp has been heavy on the fundamentals, with coaches Tommy Condell and Orlondo Steinauer slowly bringing the team around to a new way of thinking.
“We’re still instilling our culture and our ethos, and also putting some new pages in the playbook,” said Coach Condell of the first week of camp. “Offensive schemes are great, but you need to be able to do fundamental things on a consistent basis, both as an individual and as a football team.”
Condell was also Austin’s offensive coordinator for the past two seasons at Cornell, and so the two share similar philosophies on coaching styles.
“The biggest job for us as coaches is to give [the players] every chance for success by preparing them for the game,” said Condell.
“That’s what we’ve been doing so far, and the players are preparing the way that we want them to.”
Working heavily with the receivers, Condell shares Austin’s nitpicky nature, but the offense will no doubt be better for it, and have another productive season with Henry Burris at the helm.
On the other side of the ball, Coach Steinauer has been using a similar approach in teaching his new defensive system. After three seasons as the defensive backs coach with the Toronto Argonauts, ‘Coach O’ is now making his mark in Hamilton.
“The men have been working hard, buying in, and pushing themselves to the limit,” said Steinauer of the defensive players in camp.
“That’s what we’re looking for as coaches: men who love to compete and are open minded to new things.”
In Friday’s practice there were several scrimmage sessions in which a defensive unit and offensive unit went head-to-head. The defence often emerged victorious, with several turnovers and some big-time defensive plays. But Steinauer was quick to downplay his role in their success, and emphasize how far they still have to grow.
“The guys made some plays today,” Steinauer said after practice. “But we were far from perfect. We have to continue to do good things time and time again. Greatness isn’t once in a while, greatness is all the time. Today was another step in the right direction.”
As both coaches have stated, the Tiger-Cats still have a long way to go. Learning an entirely new playbook is no quick process, but the progress made from one practice to the next is obvious. Coaches Austin, Condell and Steinauer are coaching from the ground up, and ensuring that the Ticats have the tools they need to succeed in 2013.
