This should have come to mind earlier, but there's bound to some speculation that ex-Ottawa Gee-Gees defensive co-ordinator Danny Laramee might be a good fit as the permanent coach for the Mount Allison Mounties.
Thanks is due to the commenter at The CIS Blog who pointed this out after the initial post noting that word of Steve LaLonde's departure was up on cisfootball.org. It's a little unseemly to be putting this out there, since Laramee is barely three months into his new post as assistant head coach/defensive co-ordinator with the Saint Mary's Huskies and his family is still getting settled, no doubt ... but he coached at Mount A in the '90s, and apparently his wife has some roots in Sackville, N.B.
Thanks is due to the commenter at The CIS Blog who pointed this out after the initial post noting that word of Steve LaLonde's departure was up on cisfootball.org. It's a little unseemly to be putting this out there, since Laramee is barely three months into his new post as assistant head coach/defensive co-ordinator with the Saint Mary's Huskies and his family is still getting settled, no doubt ... but he coached at Mount A in the '90s, and apparently his wife has some roots in Sackville, N.B.
That stint came during a time of great upheaval at Mount A — the head coach was dismissed after a steroids scandal — but time heals all wounds.
Meantime, this really stinks for Mount A. LaLonde was also the offensive co-ordinator. Any search for a permanent coach -- presuming they'll have an interim guy this fall -- is made harder by the reality concerning the ideal candidates. Go-getter young coaches in their 30s and early 40s have to concern themselves with their wives' careers and the schooling of their young children before they make a move. That can be trickier to manage for a school in a smaller community, compared to a hub city such as Ottawa or Halifax.
LaLonde was making some headway at Mount A. The Mounties played exciting football regardless of the score (they actually scored only seven points less than Vanier Cup champion Manitoba did in the regular season; heck, they scored more points against Saint Mary's than the Bisons did in the national championship game, although that's a very glib comparison).
It's perfectly understandable to wonder about a coach who leaves that close to the start of the season, but the facts aren't in yet. The players have apparently been informed by an e-mail, which was posted at the message board. For anyone who's interested, keep an eye on the websites from the newspapers down East.
LaLonde was making some headway at Mount A. The Mounties played exciting football regardless of the score (they actually scored only seven points less than Vanier Cup champion Manitoba did in the regular season; heck, they scored more points against Saint Mary's than the Bisons did in the national championship game, although that's a very glib comparison).
It's perfectly understandable to wonder about a coach who leaves that close to the start of the season, but the facts aren't in yet. The players have apparently been informed by an e-mail, which was posted at the message board. For anyone who's interested, keep an eye on the websites from the newspapers down East.
Related:
LaLonde leaves Mount A (Monty Mosher, Halifax Herald)
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1 comment:
I own two Mount A t-shirts, and I didn't even go to school there! (I'll pick up another one this summer when I see my in-laws in NB.) I have a soft spot for underdogs, and I think it is terrific that such a small school keeps competing in CIS.
If I could put my entire life on hold, I would love to take that job. I love Atlantic Canada, and Mount A is a beautiful campus. Sadly, I have a young family and a career, and a relatively poor paying, unstable job as a football coach in Canada is not conducive to happy marriages. Coaching football is a hobby of mine - I suspect the fun would drain from it immensely once it became your job.
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