The Alouettes have made a shocking move just five days before the start of the CFL regular season.
Head coach Mike Sherman, 64, has been relieved of his duties. The move comes two days following the conclusion of Alouettes’ training camp.
“We had identified some key elements from last year where we wanted to see some changes, but unfortunately, these adjustments did not materialize,” general manager Kavis Reed said in a statement.
“These decisions are never easy to take, but we believe that this is the right one to make. Our team is in good hands as Khari showed great things in 2018 and has a very solid experience in the CFL.”
Sherman joined the Alouettes in December of 2017 following a lengthy head coaching search. The club confirmed that Sherman and Reed would both return for the 2019 season this past November after going 5-13 last year.
The Alouettes went 0-1-1 in the pre-season, suffering a 45-20 loss in Toronto before playing to a 20-20 draw against Ottawa at home.
Jones was already with the team as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He now adds interim head coach to that list of titles.
The former CFL quarterback will be the Alouettes’ seventh head coach in as many years: Dan Hawkins, 2013; Jim Popp, 2013, 2015-2016; Tom Higgins, 2014-2015; Jacques Chapdelaine, 2016-2017; Reed, 2017; Sherman, 2018; and Jones, 2019.
The current situation in Montreal is perhaps best described by RDS football analyst Didier Orméjuste:
Clusterfuck.
— Didier Orméjuste ???????? (@DidierRDS) June 8, 2019
And Montreal Gazette reporter Herb Zurkowsky has dropped some nuggets about the Sherman firing:
I’m told #CFL officials were seated behind the bench in Toronto for #AlsMTL first exhibition game, to observe Mike Sherman, fearing the team was on the precipice of a revolt or mutiny
— Herb Zurkowsky (@HerbZurkowsky1) June 8, 2019
The league, I believe, is now on the hook to pay Mike Sherman his 2019 salary. He had one year remaining on his contract
— Herb Zurkowsky (@HerbZurkowsky1) June 8, 2019
I just received this DM from an #AlsMTL organizational source: “Trust me. Now we have the chance to win some games.”
— Herb Zurkowsky (@HerbZurkowsky1) June 8, 2019
