Sportscage insider Arash Madani is reporting this on the eve of the Grey Cup....
The freefall of the Saskatchewan Roughriders season will claim at least its offensive coordinator, and likely more members of the team’s coaching staff.
Sportsnet has learned the Riders have parted ways with offensive coordinator George Cortez, only a year after winning the Grey Cup. Cortez is believed to be one of a number of Saskatchewan coaches that will not return in 2015.
The Roughriders got off to a terrific 8-2 start this season, but lost quarterback Darian Durant to a torn elbow tendon in September. From there, the team was lost offensively — ineffective with back-ups Tino Sunseri and Seth Doege. Kerry Joseph was called off the couch from retirement in October, but did not help down the stretch, nor in the West semi-final playoff loss to the Edmonton Eskimos.
Cortez’s play calling came under fire throughout the season, and whispers from within the organization suggested a stubbornness to change.
Saskatchewan special teams coach Bob Dyce may also find a new home. Sources said Dyce is interviewing for both the University of Regina head coaching job, as well as the offensive coordinator vacancy with the Ottawa RedBlacks.
16 comments:
That's great news. Father time took it's toll on George. It was often said, "George Cortez has forgotten more about football, than most fans know." Well this year you could take that literally. It appeared like he could only remember a handful of plays.
Now it's your turn Richie. Eighth best defense in the league leaves a lot to be desired.
management listening to the fans.this team will be even worse next season
Time for the Riders to fork out some good cash to entice the brilliant Mr.Paul Lapolice to return as the Rider's offensive coordinator.
Old Hank
Who is to say that Cortez wanted to come back to Saskatchewan anyways? He only signs one year contracts for a reason.
Doesn’t matter who the offensive coordinator is, until they change the guy finding and bringing in talent, changing coaches is like moving chairs on the titanic.
The core of the offence was all brought in under the Shivers (Durant, Best) and Tillman (Getzlaf, Bagg, Dressler) regimes. Taman has signed Labatte and Picard as free-agents but has failed to find and draft offensive players (minus Heenan - no one could have screwed that one up).
If I was Cortez and I had a GM who couldn’t find talent on offence other than RB’s, I wouldn’t want to return either.
The Riders have very experienced football people out looking for talent - O'Day, Simon, and Craig Smith.
Taman does the signing of the talent and has done a great job seeking out talent in free agency, the draft and resigning players.
O'Day and Smith have contacts throughout Canada and the US. After this crew won us a Grey Cup, there were TWO other teams that did better than us in 2014. In 2015 the challenge for this crew of recruiters is to get us back to number ONE.
There were many reasons why we did not get back to the Grey Cup this year, but with a healthy Durant in 2015 we should be back in the race.
U idiots don't get it. Cortez is a genius, but he needs the parts around him (like at QB) which he didn't have when Durant went down. If DD is healthy, we are waiting for a Rider repeat today and no one is blaming Cortez for what happened. This is a bad move!
Does he want to leave or is he being pushed? I bet Wally gets him.
Hopefully Mr. Hall is next too go, he has been here way too long. It is time for a change on the defensive side of the ball also. Fresh ideas are needed on that side of the ball.
Naylor TSN says on Monday RIchie Hall will be fired. About time!!!
The real culprit to the riders woos and descent to a CFL West Division basement is the inept gm who knows nothing of football.
Fire Taman !!!!!!!
Cortez never changed his approach or schemes when DD went down. Tino Sunceri is a talent but George Cortez never put him in position to succeed. A couple of posters have tried defending George by blaming Brendan Taman and I agree he hasn't found didely squat, but a coach is supposed to adapt to what he has and George didn't.
Good, now Richie.
It's hard to believe Taman is fishing from the same pool as John Hufnagel. It's like Huffer has a barbed hook and BT has a piece of string and a float.
“O’Day and Smith have contacts throughout Canada and the US."
What contacts? At Bubba Gump’s shrimp and Dunkin’ Donuts? If I had their football contacts, I’d be getting new ones because as the last poster stated they aren’t in the same pool as Calgary’s US contacts.
What do you mean Taman (Smith) can't find anybody?? They found Terrance Nunn and Chas Schillens.
There, I guess I told them, eh.
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