Not the way Calvillo drew it up
QB great gets taste of losing as an assistant coach, ending Alouettes’ 19- year playoff run
From the seven quarterbacks they were forced to use, to the rookie assistant coach who, in the blink of an eye, went from receivers coach to quarterback mentor and, finally, co- offensive co- ordinator, this wasn’t the way the Alouettes drew up their 2015 season.
Little wonder their Canadian Football League playoff run came to an end following 19 years.
Anthony Calvillo will learn and grow from the experience, but the transition from legendary quarterback to assistant coach has been painful at times, full of an array of obstacles. A rookie coach should never be thrust into the role of coordinator, anyone in professional football will justifiably argue. When that move comes during the season, it’s even worse.
“It’s definitely stressful. Losing, whether you’re a player or coach, isn’t fun,” Calvillo said. “At the end of the day, if you’re in charge of the offence and it’s not performing, you’re responsible for that. That’s a hard pill to swallow. You’re trying to do everything possible for the team to have success. We built something special here. The last few years, it’s been tough to sit back and watch. Now that I’m in ( position) to help turn it around, I wanted that opportunity.”
And Calvillo just might succeed, eventually. It simply won’t occur this season.
Montreal was eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, while losing at Edmonton. Provided Calvillo’s retained after the frontoffice dust settles — and provided he wants to continue coaching — he’ll have all winter to tinker with, or overhaul, the team’s offensive playbook. With the Als having outscored only Winnipeg this season, averaging barely more than 21 points per game, plenty of work remains.
“We made a decision to do what we did. The best thing to do is continue with that path, stick with it, because he’s only going to grow and get better,” said general manager and head coach Jim Popp, whose own future must be clarified despite having two years remaining on his contract.
“It’s only going to get better. The more experienced he gets each week, the more comfortable he becomes,” Popp added. “There’s a lot of things that go into what he’s doing. It’s not just the gameplanning. It’s learning to call plays, sequences and thinking ahead two plays. Setting something up for two series later. He’s doing well.”
Calvillo retired following the 2013 season, after sustaining a concussion at Mosaic Stadium during an August game. He took a year away from football before being named the Als’ receivers coach, watching games from the spotter’s booth. It was in August, heading into a game at Vancouver, that Popp insisted Calvillo be on the sidelines so he could interact with players. That turned out to be Tom Higgins’ final game as head coach.
Two days later, Popp, having replaced Higgins, named Calvillo quarterbacks coach. And then, following an early September loss at home to the Lions, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert was fired, replaced by Ryan Dinwiddie and Calvillo, although the latter would call plays during games.
The results were hardly immediate. While time prohibits drastic changes being made to the playbook during the season, Calvillo — with Dinwiddie’s assistance — certainly made some subtle changes. The transition process was made somewhat easier following the late- season acquisition of veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn from Saskatchewan.
Calvillo’s first mandate was to change the entire read progression for the quarterbacks. Rookie Rakeem Cato, who inherited the starting role following injuries to Jonathan Crompton and Dan LeFevour, wasn’t comfortable with Schonert’s system. Calvillo did his best to ensure he instilled a “quarterback- friendly” blueprint, so the reads became more defined and established. There would be less emphasis placed on reading the defence, at least until Glenn arrived.
“It makes sense to us, but we have to make sure it makes sense to the quarterbacks,” Calvillo said. “We weren’t sure how much the quarterbacks could handle. They weren’t doing that before. What they were being asked was very challenging.”
Other teams certainly have noticed the transformation.
“They’re doing a good mix of run and pass. They’re working on getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands in a hurry,” said Edmonton head coach Chris Jones, a former defensive co- ordinator with the Als, Calgary and Toronto. “They have a quarterback now that can read the differences between whole and cut coverage. Or man. Or zero. It makes things run a little smoother.”
Some of the greatest players in sport — regardless of the game they played — found the move into coaching onerous. They might have been able to deliver the message, but quickly discovered those on the receiving end weren’t always born with the same level of talent or ability.
It has been no different for Calvillo, who retired as pro football’s career passing leader. When he played, having the ball in his hand on every down, he controlled the pace and outcome. Now he must rely on others, watching from a distance with anxiety.
“You put in all this effort and preparation. All of a sudden you have to sit back and let them execute it. That’s been the biggest adjustment,” Calvillo admitted. “You have the ability to control a lot of things when you play. Here, you hope you’ve crossed every T and dotted every I. You hope it’s correct.”
A rookie coach should never be thrust into the role of co- ordinator ... When that move comes during the season, it’s even worse.