Als’ Carter resigns As defensive Co-ordinator
Stubler takes over as defensive co-ordinator as move comes 10 days before training camp
We can speculate all we want and jump to conclusions. The truth eventually will come out — it always does — about Kahlil Carter. Nothing the Alouettes do between now and June 16, when they launch their regular-season in Vancouver, really matters for the time being.
But something just doesn’t smell right about Carter’s sudden resignation Thursday morning as the Als’ defensive co-ordinator — for family and personal reasons, according to the organization — especially since the announcement comes barely more than a week before the team opens training camp on May 20. Carter, who lives in Iowa, will remain with the team as a regional scout.
Former players go into coaching because they have aspirations and want to teach. They become assistant coaches with the hope of becoming co-ordinators. The best co-ordinators eventually become head coaches, and the smartest of those, a select few with a business acumen and eye for talent, move on to become general managers.
Carter, who coached Calgary’s defensive backs for three seasons and wasn’t going to return to the Stampeders, was given a glorious opportunity by Montreal — one a coach doesn’t walk away from days before the start of camp, unless something transpired.
But the Als seemingly put the hiring of Carter into question months ago, with the appointment of the more experienced Rich Stubler to be his adviser. The organization had its next DC in place should Carter fail. With Stubler’s arrival, the organization sent an immediate signal it didn’t believe in Carter.
“I understand, but don’t agree with it. I vehemently deny that ,” head coach Mike Sherman told the Montreal Gazette, also denying there might have been friction between himself and Carter or Stubler and the departed DC. Indeed, when Sherman was an assistant head coach with the NFL’s Houston Texans, after he coached and managed Green Bay, he denied any assumptions ever were made.
“Rich was hired because he’s a good coach, he’s familiar with the defence. He’s a great sounding board,” Sherman added. “He’s been in the league. He’s been a head coach and he can be a good adviser to me. I don’t worry about the optics. We’re fine. We have people in place. The work’s done and we’re moving forward.”
The playbooks have been completed on defence, offence and special teams. GM Kavis Reed overhauled the defence this winter, signing free agents Tommie Campbell, Joe Burnett, Mitchell White and Dominique Ellis in the secondary; middlelinebacker Henoc Muamba and rush-end Jamaal Westerman. And just this week, defensivetackle Alan-Michael Cash was repatriated after his release from Toronto.
Did Campbell and Burnett in particular, who came over from Calgary, sign with Montreal to play for Carter? If so, this opens a potential Pandora’s box. And are they being utilized in a defence on which Carter was the principal architect?
“It’s Montreal’s defence … our defence. It’s not Khari Jones’ offence. It’s not Kahlil’s defence. It’s all of ours,” Sherman stated. “Things happen. Life happens and you react to life. The genesis of the defence won’t change. The structure of it won’t necessarily. The defence will evolve to the personnel, whether Kahlil was here or not. You evolve to the personnel.”
Although Stubler’s 68 and has nearly 40 years of coaching experience, neither he nor Sherman believe age will be a factor, either for his energy level or the arduous daily regimen football coaches endure. Stubler undoubtedly is qualified for the job, having now worked for six of the nine Canadian Football League teams. He even was Toronto’s head coach in 2008, just in case.
Nonetheless, the Als are still down a body on the defensive side of the ball. Stubler, who said he won’t coach a specific position, will be assisted by Bert Hill (defensive-line), Todd Howard (linebackers) and Billy Parker (defensive backs). What has changed is Stubler no longer can remain on the periphery; the success of failure of the defence rests with him.
“Your family has to take precedence, regardless of how it looks to anybody,” Stubler said. “If we went to war and I died tomorrow, somebody else would be there the next day. This is not inconceivable. It’s sad that it happened. I wish (Carter) well.
“We’re just a small cog. The players are the ones who make the plays,” Stubler appropriately added. “It’s our job to teach them to make plays and good decisions.”
Carter, for his part, refused to speak to the Montreal Gazette. But, in an interview granted to 3Down Nation, he maintained personal reasons, and nothing more, were behind the decision. He said when Corey Chamblin resigned as the Argonauts’ DC for personal reasons, nobody questioned the move. But Chamblin departed three months ago.
Carter also maintained his twoyear contract will be honoured, claiming he’ll receive the same salary as a scout he was to be paid as a co-ordinator. If this is correct, somebody needs their head examined.
The Als haven’t made the playoffs the last three seasons and have never adequately replaced quarterback Anthony Calvillo. Now this. This team seemingly never can escape the perception of it being dysfunctional; of suffering from self-inflicted wounds.
“Football’s a game of transition,” Sherman said. “If Rich wasn’t there, it would be a little more difficult. You can’t predict situations. Who’s to say where my mind’s going to be in five months?”
Or even the night of June 16.