POPP TO RETURN AS ALOUETTES COACH
Montreal Alouettes President and CEO Mark Weightman announced during the team’s annual post-mortem on Monday that Jim Popp will return as Head Coach of the Club in 2016. Coordinators Anthony Calvillo, Noel Thorpe and Kavis Reed were also confirmed to be returning to the team’s coaching staff for next season.
“Following a thorough and structured review and decision making process that included Jim Popp, Bob Wetenhall and Andrew Wetenhall, and myself, we came to a unanimous conclusion that the right personnel was already in place and the missing ingredient was stability. Jim and his coaching staff showed some real progress in the latter stages of the 2015 season, and we are confident this progression will continue into next year. Our defense under Noel Thorpe has been consistently strong, our special teams have excelled under Kavis Reed, and our offense also made some significant progress late in the season under the guidance of Anthony Calvillo. The multiple changes we have experienced on our coaching staff in recent years have created additional challenges for our team, and have limited our ability to progress and to have the success that is synonymous with Alouettes football,” said Alouettes President and CEO Mark Weightman.
“I am humbled and thankful for being offered the position of head coach. We need to continue on the path of stability and harmony,” declared Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach, Jim Popp. “Securing our coordinators and building with this talented team is the step in the right direction.”
“Since losing Marc Trestman to the NFL and Anthony Calvillo to retirement, we have not established consistency in our leadership or offensive identity. The organization is partly responsible, having initiated too much change in too short a time. We’ve had 3 head coaches and 6 offensive coordinators in 3 years. Adding our unfortunate injury experience at the QB position, we haven’t delivered consistency to our players or on the field. We are confident that with this decision, 2016 will return the Alouettes to the top of the league,” added Weightman.
Fans Didn’t Miss A Beat
Even though the team did not perform up to expectations on the field in 2015, the fans showed their unconditional support for their team as the Alouettes had one of the highest attendance increases in the CFL, with a 3.5% increase over 2014. The organization’s Fan Centric strategy enhanced the game-day experience at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium with new initiatives such as tailgates, pre-game parties, the Fan Zone, happy hour and new in-stadium entertainment, to which fans responded very favourably.
Montreal Alouettes going to be alright. Just in need of some team fine tuning here and there.
Probably have the same record next year as this one. Guy is the GM so he can hire anyone he wants as coach. You get what you pay for.
NO WAY! how could he not come to canadas team! the premiere franchise with the worlds greatest fans! I just don't get it
Yeah, you can have Kavis.
The ALS wouldn't give the Riders permission to talk him because he's still under contract.
Get it now?
The riders are far from Canada's team only Roddie has ever anointed them that sure the seats were sold all at the start of the season but the actual fans showing up per game was a joke for the so called greatest fans which they aren't .The riders even had to mark down merchandise 50% off just to sell it what a joke this franchise is.They only get support in other cities because when times were tough in sask everybody left to other cities so of coarse they will go to the game when the last place Riders are in… Read more »
At least they're not having to give away free playoff tickets in order to entice people to buy season tickets for next season… that's what's happening in calgary right now. That's right, the current reigning grey cup champions. Enough said.
Good they can keep him! He hasn't really done too much since AC retired. Unless you count bringing in Michael "I'm too good for the CFL" Sam in for a cup of coffee.
I have not seen a single person named as a possible GM for the Riders who would be better than O'Day as GM !!!!!
Until I do its O'Day for GM
No to O'Day!
He's just not ready! Nice hare dhou.
But you haven't seen a name that is worse either that's been named !!!
Go Rockstar, lol
That's great news! That means Kavis won't be with the Riders in any capacity. "There will be consequences."
To the idiot who says the Riders are not Canada's team, give you head a shake and take your head out of your a-s. Crowds in EVERY city are up when the Riders play and we are still close to sellout even we were 0&9. And don't try to say the stands were not full unless you are totally blind! By the way, did you notice how the team from "the centre of the universe drew fans in Hamilton". Ha Ha. Their fans couldn't even drive a few miles and our fans drive hundreds of miles for every home game… Read more »
Good. Now the 'nut jobs' pushing for him to be the Riders GM – can shut the FRACK UP !
Don't like him. Never have. Too much ego.