THURSDAY COMMENTARY – “HI … IS KENT THERE?”
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Not sure what the timeline is for the Roughriders to hire a new offensive coordinator but before they do, they may wanna make a call to Lynchburg, Virginia.
It appears Roughriders legend Kent Austin has become available after his boss at Liberty University – Hugh Freeze – bolted the Flames to join the SEC’s Auburn Tigers this week.
The rumblings I’m getting is that Austin won’t be joining Freeze at Auburn, and is unlikely to replace him at Liberty despite being the offensive coordinator there since 2019 and enjoying great success.
The name Kent Austin is a big one in football, but my Insiders tell me it’s not big enough for Liberty officials whom are taking a swing at some college heavyweights and have the financial wherewithal to do it.
So where does this leave Kent, the man who led Saskatchewan to Grey Cup championships in 1989 and 2007; one as quarterback and the other as coach?
(When you think about that, you realize a bronze statue of the man should be erected outside Mosaic Stadium immediately).
Austin’s not even 60, so I doubt he’s seriously considered hanging up the headset. His resume is as good as anyone’s, having enjoyed success in college stops at Ole Miss and Cornell, and of course in the CFL in Sask and Hamilton.
Sure, he couldn’t win a Grey Cup with the Tiger-Cats but if you’ve noticed, nobody can.
Kent turned a safety – Kerry Joseph – into the league MVP at quarterback with the Riders and made pivot Malik Willis of Liberty look like the Second Coming for the Tennessee Titans. Marc Trestman gets all the credit as the “Quarterback Whisperer” but it says here Kent Austin is every bit as good.
Kent and I’ve spent a lot of time together (he wrote the Foreword for my best-selling book) and he told me once he wouldn’t mind taking a crack at the NFL. He had a cup of coffee with the Cardinals in the 80’s as a player and gosh knows he’s got enough contacts in The League.
Or maybe he’d consider a return to the Wheat Province with the chance to play the hero once again. It would be a mighty paycut from what he’s used to, but for guys like Kent, it’s not about the money.
All I know is … it’s worth a phone call.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, YouTube Live and WQEE Radio. Call your cable provider to subscribe)
I agree 110%.
I was wondering when his name would pop up. Get him here as OC, so he can take over from Dickenson next yr.
There wouldn’t be any shenanigans take place if he was HC like we had this yr.
Could be a long shot .. stranger things have happened.
I follow all 3 leagues – CFL – NCAA Power 5 and the sub divisions along with the NFL. Kent Austin in Canada is a gold standard. Down there he’s got about as much of a shot as Mike Kershaw at Rice. Two great coaches yet they are not connected to the influential tree. Did anyone see Steve Sarkisian play CFL football? I did. Did anyone see Kent Austin? I did. Yet….Texas flushed $40M down a Lorass porta potty to see if he could turn that garbage school around. The only reason he got that job is he started at… Read more »
good article, good option for Sasky. I do like the article in 3Down about BLM and with what he is saying he wants in a team and where he would pick to go, the Riders fit all of the bills he is asking for, except the OCoordinator. That can be solved by either Austin or that guy Mueller with the Stamps, who as it seems BLM is super high on