Mitchell Blair
Riders President and CEO Craig Reynolds’ first year on the job isn’t the one he envisioned. The team had no choice but to make changes after an 0-9 start to the season and finishing with three wins.
Change is underway.
Reynolds spoke with the media for over 20 minutes on Thursday afternoon on the process. Even though he wouldn’t divulge any names, he did say this is a process that he hopes won’t last very long as the team has to start making decisions with a new man in charge.
“Ideally, we would like to have a guy in place in mid-December, but we are not going to rush it. “Reynolds said.” We will take our time though. We are not going to rush into anything just for the sake of making a deadline. At the end of the day, it is about finding the right candidate and if that takes a little bit longer, we will take that time.
Reynolds has admitted that Jeremy O’Day would likely be on a final list of three or four candidates, but he won’t say anything more about that including the performance O’Day has done since the change was made at the end of August to replace Brendan Taman.
“That wouldn’t be fair to Jeremy,” Reynolds admitted. “He will go through the process like anyone else, but I think it is fair to say that if he is on the shortlist what we have thought of the job he has done. We have had a lot of conversations already and he has done some things which I think are positive for the organization, but he will have a chance to formally give us his vision for the football team. “
While Reynolds obviously kept his cards close to his vest during the grilling he received, Reynolds did say the winning candidate must possess a series of characteristics if he is to assume control of the on-field product.
“First and foremost, we need a strong leader. You need to have a vision on how to build a championship football team year in and year out.” Reynolds said. “They need to have a strong skill-set in everything from a building a team to your scouting department to your head coach to your players. They need to be an excellent talent evaluator, they need to be a good negotiator, and they need to be able to make the tough decisions that are made in order to be successful.”
While the general manager, whoever it may be, will hire his head coach, Reynolds says he would be OK if that candidate decided he wanted to take on both roles.
“We’re open to that as a possibility. We’re in a unique situation where we have both positions open, which can be appealing to a certain candidate.” Reynolds said. “It takes a very special person to be able to do both roles. You see it, but you don’t see it prevalent in the CFL or the NFL. That’s because it takes a unique skill set to be able to do both. We’re open to it, but the person would have to prove they have the capability of filling those big roles.
Reynolds added he can not let the outside voice dictate any role in the final decision.
“At the end of the day, you want to be comfortable with the decision you make and I have to live with that decision. “Reynolds stated. “I know in this province you get lots of opinions and you hear lots of opinions. There will be criticism regardless of which direction I go and I know that, but I am prepared to make this decision on my merits and walk the board through the decision and why I feel the way I do about whoever gets the job.’
While the question and answer session lasted a long time, it was one phrase made by Reynolds which should perhaps resonate with the Rider Nation.
“I don’t feel pressure to hire a marquee candidate, but I do need to hire the right candidate”.
Whether that candidate is already a member of the organization, another organization or someone who is currently not with a team, Reynolds is already on the path to make his football team better and get it back to where many feel it should be and that is a perennial contender for the Grey Cup.
