The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Kavis Reed is already back at the drawing board for the Montreal Alouettes.
The day after the Als’ season ended with a 33-0 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Reed sat beside President and CEO Patrick Boivin to discuss where things went wrong and what’s next for his club.
It’s a long list, of course, for a team that won only three games, finishing the 2017 campaign with 11 straight losses on the way to the CFL’s worst record. Yet the starting point for Reed and company is quite obvious.
“The first and foremost thing is to make certain we establish the next head coach and the next coaching staff,” Reed told MontrealAlouettes.com.
Reed, hired as the Alouettes’ general manager last off-season, also assumed coaching duties mid-season on an interim basis following the dismissal of Jacques Chapdelaine. The plan was to hire a new coach following the season, which Reed says should be carried out by mid-December.
The Alouettes have lost 11 straight games, finishing 3-15 under first-year GM Kavis Reed (The Canadian Press)
The new staff, Reed says, will play a key role in any incoming personnel changes on the field.
“This next staff will be in partnership, and I truly believe it should be a communal decision,” said Reed. “We’ll have an opportunity to review our roster and make sure they’re active in terms of the selection of who stays and who’s brought in.”
The Alouettes’ next move, in that regard, will determine the success of the football club moving forward. We’ve seen what strong coaching selections can do for teams in the short- and long-term, from Chris Jones in Edmonton several years ago or Rick Campbell with the expansion REDBLACKS to Marc Trestman taking over the Argonauts late in the 2017 off-season.
Success starts with a determined leader who can energize both the locker-room and the fan base.
“X’s and O’s are very important,” says Reed, “but a strong person that knows how to bring people together and develop talent and develop a locker-room . . . It is critically important to have sustainable success, that you have a teacher with the mindset of developing.”
Murmurs have already brought to light established coaches like Paul LaPolice and Marcel Bellfeuille, while DeVone Claybrooks, Corey Chamblin, Mike Benevides and Marcus Brady are other candidates who could be available come the off-season.
While there’s no doubt that the coaching search takes precedent, the Alouettes’ plan of developing a franchise quarterback of the future also remains a priority.
“It’s very easy to blame Darian because he’s the quarterback. But there were a lot of other circumstances and situations around him that may have been a factor in his numbers.”
Kavis Reed on the Als’ QB situation
Darian Durant struggled through his first season in Montreal, throwing more INT than TD (Dominick Gravel/Montreal Alouettes)
Reed says he strongly believes Matthew Shiltz and Antonio Pipkin should remain in the team’s long-term plans, but the team needs a veteran in 2018 to help bring them along. Whether that’s Darian Durant, Drew Willy or someone else remains to be seen.
The Alouettes’ GM says he remembers being in Edmonton when Mike Reilly, Matt Nichols, Jeremiah Masoli and Jacory Harris were the young, unproven quarterbacks in the room.
“For whatever reason it worked out very well and those guys have proven that they’re very good quarterbacks,” said Reed. “It is a process to develop quarterbacks, and one of the primary things about developing quarterbacks is to not put them in situations that are going to impair their growth.
“I feel very confident that Matt and Antonio have the qualities to be franchise quarterbacks, but it is also key to have a veteran around them to help guide them through circumstances and situations.”
The club will have to take a good, long look at Durant, who failed to deliver on big expectations in 2017. Durant completed 65.7 per cent of his passes this season, averaging 7.8 yards per attempt while throwing more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (15).
“We’re all disappointed with this season and the way things worked out, and it’s very easy to blame Darian because he’s the quarterback,” says Reed. “But there were a lot of other circumstances and situations around him that may have been a factor in his numbers.
“We’re going to be very vigilant and forensic about how we approach and look at him, but I’m not embarrassed by the decision with Darian because Darian has come here and has been stalwart in terms of his leadership and the way he has conducted himself.”
The Alouettes remain very high on rookie quarterback Matthew Shiltz (The Canadian Press)
In his first career start, Shiltz completed only seven of 16 passes for 96 yards and three interceptions on Friday night vs. the Ticats. He finished his rookie season with 385 passing yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Pipkin went 2-for-9 for 14 yards in limited action vs. Hamilton.
On Saturday, Reed came out and said his first post-season press conference wasn’t about selling hope. Yet with the end of the season comes a chance to turn the page, something the Alouettes’ general manager must welcome.
No season is ever a lost cause. This year, a younger secondary and a revamped O-line made strides, the latter going through the first three games of the season without allowing a sack. Meanwhile, young players like Branden Dozier, Dondre Wright, Tevaughn Campbell and Fabion Foote might have asserted themselves as day one starters next year.
The discussion, however, will always circle back to the coach and quarterback. While there are plenty of intriguing coaches available, the quarterback situation is one that Reed must solve this winter.
For Alouettes fans, the fun really starts after the Grey Cup.
