Should/Will the Flames keep Ward

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Toonage

This is where we could go back and forth. Players take the blame for execution, but coaches make mistakes that put the players in poor positions to succeed. Leaving tired players out, making a panic pull in net etc.

Just to be clear....im not advocating that they keep Ward. He, like every coach who ever coached, made some mistakes.

Keep him, gas him, demote him...whatever.

Nothing will change though without a severe shake up of the make-up of this clubs personnel. We have a solid 6 years of sample size now to determine that.

[The Yen Man]

So, Treliving was just on the Fan. He expects the coaching situation to be resolved in the coming days. Does that mean he's already settled on Ward? Or has he interviewed other coaches already, since it's all through video conferencing. I guess either way, we should know in the next week or so.

[activeStick]

You'd think that if there was someone other than Ward he's considering someone in the media would've caught wind of it by now. Understand that without the pandemic we'd have candidates or Tre spotted in specific cities but even in this environment I would imagine a guy like Friedman would have heard something by now if Tre is indeed going to finalize by the weekend, but there's been nothing.

[Toonage]

I agree with the morning show guys. Ward is coming back. Sure sounded like that to me too.

Sigh.

So there is one battle lost. Now we move on to the other point of interest. Shaking up the core.

[The Yen Man]

I'm still holding out hope Treliving interviewed a bunch of people without the media catching wind of it, since it's all through video conferencing. But yah, it's most likely he's settled on Ward...

[The Familia]

This franchise continues to wander in the dark aimlessly. Everyone from ownership down to the marketing team doesn't have a clue how to run a successful franchise. Why have the Stampeders constantly been the flagship franchise of the CFL and consistently in the title picture every single year? One word...Huffnagel. Giving full control to someone with the background and resume who knows what to do solves almost all of your managerial issues. He has total control of the organization and it shows. The results speak for themselves. You can argue the Stamps have lost a few cups that they should of won but that sports. Huff always gives them a legitimate shot at competing. Why is it so hard for the Flames to find competent GM's and coach's?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Familia

This franchise continues to wander in the dark aimlessly. Everyone from ownership down to the marketing team doesn't have a clue how to run a successful franchise. Why have the Stampeders constantly been the flagship franchise of the CFL and consistently in the title picture every single year? One word...Huffnagel. Giving full control to someone with the background and resume who knows what to do solves almost all of your managerial issues. He has total control of the organization and it shows. The results speak for themselves. You can argue the Stamps have lost a few cups that they should of won but that sports. Huff always gives them a legitimate shot at competing. Why is it so hard for the Flames to find competent GM's and coach's?

I bet they would have an easier time of it in a small-money league like the CFL where they are in competition with only seven other teams. Good times.

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[Stanley]

Originally Posted by The Familia

This franchise continues to wander in the dark aimlessly. Everyone from ownership down to the marketing team doesn't have a clue how to run a successful franchise. Why have the Stampeders constantly been the flagship franchise of the CFL and consistently in the title picture every single year? One word...Huffnagel. Giving full control to someone with the background and resume who knows what to do solves almost all of your managerial issues. He has total control of the organization and it shows. The results speak for themselves. You can argue the Stamps have lost a few cups that they should of won but that sports. Huff always gives them a legitimate shot at competing. Why is it so hard for the Flames to find competent GM's and coach's?

You do realize you're comparing it to a 9 team small $ football league right?
apples and oranges...

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I bet they would have an easier time of it in a small-money league like the CFL where they are in competition with only seven other teams. Good times.

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True. But nonetheless its apparent that the stampeders are designed to win from top to bottom. And its obvious hufnagel is the source of this. Just like buono in the 90s.

The flames are nothing like this and while they play in a bigger league they also have less constraints with money and don’t compete with an nfl for talent.

I’m a fan but won’t deny the flames seem to lack a winning internal culture. The team is hardwired to mediocrity. Sadly seem content there as well.

[dammage79]

I can see a scenario where Ward might stay but he gets to hire his own staff. Huska and the others could be gone.

[Table 5]

I think Treliving has to look at this coaching decision as if he had a completely clean slate. Ward didn't earn the head coaching position, circumstances put him there. Treliving has to ask himself, out of all coaching possibilities out there, would Ward be the one to hire if the Flames didn't have a coach right now?

If he's the guy you'd hire if you had an open spot right now, fine, keep him on. But if he's not, you can't keep him on just because of circumstance and some kudos from the players.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I think Treliving has to look at this coaching decision as if he had a completely clean slate. Ward didn't earn the head coaching position, circumstances put him there. Treliving has to ask himself, out of all coaching possibilities out there, would Ward be the one to hire if the Flames didn't have a coach right now?

If he's the guy you'd hire if you had an open spot right now, fine, keep him on. But if he's not, you can't keep him on just because of circumstance and some kudos from the players.

I think that is right and is essentially what they are doing right now. "Interim" HC has been his tag since the Peters dismissal. I would only add that it is out of all the coaching possibilities that would accept the position. I am not convinced Laviollette and to a lesser degree Gallant would come here.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Almost 86% say the team shouldn't keep Ward. That pretty well means that Treliving will give him a three year contract as head coach in the next couple of days. It's part of the process. ;-)

[Erick Estrada]

Sounds like Treliving is going to make a decision on the coach soon based on what he said on 960 today. Given he's not interviewed any other coaches (that we know of) I'm not exactly sure what that means unless he's leading to going forward with Ward.

[Toonage]

Like Yen Man has pointed out, we wouldn't know if anyone has been spoken to as its likely been done by phone/video conference.

But the way Treliving spoke about it, it sure doesn't feel like a change is coming. He was complimentary towards Ward, very careful about what he said but no negativity to speak of. Could it be a swerve? Misdirection? Doubtful but possible I guess.

Also, grudgingly, have to take into account the economics of it. How much has ownership lost during the pandemic? How much do they have to spend or want to spend? Given they (seemingly) didn't spend a lot on coaches to begin with, why change now when money is tighter?

I don't like it, but I can see that playing a major role too.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by Corral

True. But nonetheless its apparent that the stampeders are designed to win from top to bottom. And its obvious hufnagel is the source of this. Just like buono in the 90s.

The flames are nothing like this and while they play in a bigger league they also have less constraints with money and don’t compete with an nfl for talent.

I’m a fan but won’t deny the flames seem to lack a winning internal culture. The team is hardwired to mediocrity. Sadly seem content there as well.

That isn't really relevant as the conditions are the same for every team within the league. Just because the CFL has to compete with the NFL for talent really doesn't mean anything. The relevant point is that the NHL is a larger, big money league that is more difficult to compete in when compared to a small money, small Canadian league... It is easier to be a big fish in a small pond.

[mile]

Treliving did say Gulutzan was a good coach a couple of weeks before he fired him.

Still sounds to me like Ward is likely the HC. The media, players, Treliving, and the non-CP fanbase have all spoken favorably of him. Even if interviews for a new coach were done by phone/video, I still think there would be news leaking about Flames getting permission to interview them, like Washington with Laviolette - unless Treliving has done a really good job of keeping everything secret.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I bet they would have an easier time of it in a small-money league like the CFL where they are in competition with only seven other teams. Good times.

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Lots of people could learn from John Hufnagel on how to build a winning organization. As many Grey Cup appearances as the Flames have playoff appearances over his tenure I would bet.

The CFL is a smaller league obviously but until two years ago, 8 of 14 teams made the playoffs in the West. Harder to miss than make it.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Lots of people could learn from John Hufnagel on how to build a winning organization. As many Grey Cup appearances as the Flames have playoff appearances over his tenure I would bet.



The CFL is a smaller league obviously but until two years ago, 8 of 14 teams made the playoffs in the West. Harder to miss than make it.

Mmmmmm. No. That's not how it works.

I agree that Hufnagel is a fantastic manager and team builder. However, any comparison between managing a CFL team and a NHL team is still laughably off point. In other words, any lessons to be gleaned from Hufnagel's team philosophy and roster construction are inapplicable at the NHL level.

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[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Like Yen Man has pointed out, we wouldn't know if anyone has been spoken to as its likely been done by phone/video conference.

But the way Treliving spoke about it, it sure doesn't feel like a change is coming. He was complimentary towards Ward, very careful about what he said but no negativity to speak of. Could it be a swerve? Misdirection? Doubtful but possible I guess.

Also, grudgingly, have to take into account the economics of it. How much has ownership lost during the pandemic? How much do they have to spend or want to spend? Given they (seemingly) didn't spend a lot on coaches to begin with, why change now when money is tighter?

I don't like it, but I can see that playing a major role too.

Since you mentioned it here and it continues to get mentioned by others, Burke stated last week that when he was with the Flames, there was never any direction from above or strategy among the management that money shouldn't be spent on coaching.