TILLMAN LEAVING TICATS

HAMILTON – The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have a new front-office structure.

The Ticats announced Thursday that Eric Tillman won’t be returning to the club as general manager, while the club is promoting Drew Allemang and Shawn Burke.

A CFL source said Tillman, whose contract ended in December, opted not to re-sign with the Ticats to become the top football executive with the proposed Atlantic Schooners expansion team.

Tillman, a 61-year-old native of Jackson, Miss., had reportedly been in talks for weeks with Schooners Sports and Entertainment, the group hoping to establish a CFL franchise in Halifax. It’s still unclear exactly when and if the franchise will begin play in the CFL, seeing as it has yet to begin construction on a stadium.

Both Allemang and Burke will have the title of senior director of personnel and co-manager of football operations. They will lead player personnel, scouting and football operations and work closely with new head coach Orlondo Steinauer.

Allemang and Burke both have been with the club in various roles for more than a decade.

The Ticats also have hired former Toronto Argonauts general manager Jim Barker as a football operations consultant. Most recently, Barker has been a member of TSN’s football panel.

Barker isn’t the only ex-Argos employee going to Hamilton. Spencer Zimmerman, a member of the Argos’ front office the past three seasons, has been named director of U.S. scouting.

Tillman had been with the Ticats since 2013 when he joined the franchise as a consultant under former football operations director/head coach Kent Austin. He was promoted to GM in 2016.

Tillman is a veteran CFL executive, having spent time with six league clubs.


(Canadian Press)