BOLDUC'S JOURNEY TO ALOUETTES' HELM 20 YEARS IN MAKING
Head coach, players confident that respected assistant is up to the task
If this is André Bolduc's 15 minutes of fame, he's determined to make the most of it, allowing every moment to resonate.
He'll arrive at Molson Stadium earlier than usual on Saturday, when the Alouettes host the B.C. Lions. And when he leads the pregame prayer session — as is the head coach's responsibility — he'll think of his father, Pierrepaul, who died of cancer in 2002.
“This is the highest coaching position in Quebec right now, and that makes it very special,” said Bolduc, the Als' assistant head coach, replacing Khari Jones — probably only for one game — after Jones tested positive for COVID-19 last weekend. “When we pray, my dad's usually my first thought. He would have been proud.”
Bolduc becomes the Als' second Quebec-born, francophone head coach after Jacques Chapdelaine replaced general manager Jim Popp with six games remaining in the 2016 season. But by the following September, with the team at 3-8, Chapdelaine was fired.
While Bolduc's run won't be nearly as long, the moment hasn't been lost on the 50-yearold native of Alma. He'll be thinking about the levels at which he's coached, the players he's mentored, and the people with whom he's worked.
“They must all have a thought that, `Hey, Bolduc's going to be there,' ” he said.
Then Bolduc will think about his wife, Patricia Dufort, his four children — eldest son Thomas is the starting quarterback at Université Laval — and the sacrifices they have made during his 20-year coaching career, the last eight spent with the Alouettes.
This isn't how Bolduc envisioned his story when he enrolled at Concordia University. His plan was to become a CEGEP geography teacher and football coach. He joined the Stingers as a quarterback, but was switched to receiver by Gerry Mcgrath, the offensive coordinator at the time, who insisted Bolduc could play in the CFL.
Bolduc signed with Ottawa as a free agent in 1996. Known for his dependable hands and knowledge of the game, he caught a career-high 32 passes that season for 287 yards, scoring his one, and only, CFL touchdown. The Rough Riders folded after that season and Bolduc went to Edmonton in the dispersal draft. The NFL'S Houston Oilers also expressed an interest, but when Bolduc broke a leg and tore his ACL at camp, their enthusiasm waned.
Released the following season by Edmonton, Bolduc signed with the Alouettes, spending four seasons in Montreal, primarily on special teams. He sustained a serious foot injury in 2001, so when Jacques Dussault — the head coach at Université de Montréal at the time — offered Bolduc the Carabins' offensive coordinator's post, he jumped at the opportunity. He left in 2007 to become head coach at Université de Sherbrooke.
Bolduc led the school to its first career playoff win in 2010, when he was named Quebec conference coach of the year.
This week, Jones made it clear it wasn't a coincidence he selected Bolduc — who also coaches the running backs and was a former Alouettes assistant OC — as his right-hand man.
“He's a great coach, somebody I trust with the players,” Jones said. “I trust his advice during games. Believe me, I had a choice of people. I feel like he has a real pulse on things. He takes care of business and pays a lot of attention to details. He has head coaching experience. I think he'll be great on the sideline.
“He's been with me for years and we speak the same language. He'll be great with the quarterbacks.”
Bolduc and the staff have done their best this week to make the transition as seamless as possible. While Jones is in isolation at his apartment, technology allowed him to join meetings with the staff and players. Jones was also able to watch practice.
The players certainly showed their trust and belief in Bolduc throughout the week.
“André and coach Jones are made from the same cloth,” guard Kristian Matte said. “They want the best for us.
“André's doing a fantastic job although, as he likes to say, he's just keeping the shoes warm. The staff has been good at adapting. It feels like Jones is here with us, despite the lack of physical presence.”
Given the keys to the car — even if only for one evening — Bolduc insisted he won't take it out for a joyride. This is far from a one-man show, he said.
Offensive assistant Mike Lionello will be upstairs in the spotter's booth, helping Bolduc with the offensive calls. He'll be joined there by Greg Quick, a defence and special teams assistant who has 42 years of coaching experience and will provide game management.
Bolduc has the car keys, but no speeding will be involved, he noted. The plays that were practised this week will be the ones they call, based on the situations.
“I'm not going to put the team in trouble, calling a fake for no reason,” he said. “It will be a methodical game with smart decisions. There's only one thing I'd do crazy, without coach Jones.
“I'll tell you Sunday if I did it,” Bolduc said, laughing heartily.