Claybrooks courted for Alouettes’ coaching gig
DeVone Claybrooks is MONTREAL the defensive co-ordinator of the Calgary Stampeders, who have reached the Grey Cup the last two seasons. And he's under contract to the team in 2018. In other words, he has a good thing going.
“I have the greatest gig in the Canadian Football League, the greatest bosses. I'm in the best situation and I'm in no hurry to leave. I don't have my bags packed,” Claybrooks told Postmedia News Wednesday.
“I'm working on our off-season, doing player evaluations as we speak. That's my priority. I'm hired to do a job and this is still my job. I love it.
“It has to be a great situation and circumstances for me to leave the kingdom of Calgary.”
Nonetheless, the Alouettes are seeking a head coach, a position for which Claybrooks believes he's eminently qualified for after six years as a Calgary assistant coach — the last two as defensive co-ordinator.
While the Als might need Claybrooks more than he needs them, he can expect to be interviewed. Indeed, Montreal general manager Kavis Reed requested permission Wednesday from John Hufnagel, his Calgary counterpart and the team's president, to interview Claybrooks.
Under CFL rules, no interviews can take place before Friday. Reed will hit the ground running that day and would like to have the new head coach in place by Dec. 15, which doesn't leave him much time. The longer he waits from that juncture, the more the pool of available assistants will begin to evaporate.
“We have to hit this heavy. Not just the head coach. We have to be in line to get the best assistant coaches,” Reed said recently.
“I can't screw this up and I won't screw this up.”
Montreal went 3-15 this season and missed the playoffs for a third straight year. Yet Reed not only believes he'll have little difficulty finding someone to assume the challenge of coaching the team, that person will be capable of altering the Als' fortunes.
“In a nine-team league, if we're smart, have a good coaching staff and a good locker-room, I don't see this as a major turnaround,” he said. “I'm confident we're not going to be the doormats of the league very much longer. It doesn't take long. You just have to put a structure in place ... Starting with the head coach.”
Two sources have told Postmedia the organization could promote Reed to vice-president of football operations and hire John Murphy as GM. Murphy is Saskatchewan's assistant vice-president of football operations and player personnel.
If Claybrooks is named head coach, he would hire Rich Stubler as his defensive co-ordinator.