The Montreal Alouettes have fired general manager Kavis Reed amid startling allegations.
Assistant GM Joe Mack in a collaborative effort with head coach Khari Jones as well as director of football operations Patrick Donovan will share the day-to-day management duties the team stated.
“Joe Mack will now have oversight of all football operations, but the team will be jointly managed with Khari Jones,” Alouettes president Patrick Boivin said in a statement. “Specifically, coach Jones will now be responsible for our active roster on a daily basis, and Joe will oversee all player personnel and football operation matters, including salary cap, contracts, operations and logistics. Patrick Donovan remains Director of Football Operations. These are standout individuals and are steadfast on collaboratively doing what is best for this team to win.”
The Als were off to a 2-2 start and had just beat Ottawa on Saturday night.
Reed was hired in December 2016 after the Als let Jim Popp go. Montreal has compiled a 10-30 record during the two-plus seasons Reed has been calling the shots, the worst record among any franchise in the league over that span. Montreal had missed the playoffs four straight years, setting a dubious franchise-worst mark.
Boivin held a press conference following the announcement, but even when pressed would not elaborate on the exact reasons why Reed was let go abruptly. Fortunately there are respected journalists to provide the answers.
Hearing the same thing from multiple sources. Kavis Reed came up with a system to circumvent the salary cap. He was also caught charging the Alouettes for personal expenses such as plane tickets. https://t.co/pVioggDSKr
— Didier Orméjuste ???????? (@DidierRDS) July 14, 2019
And Stu Cowan from the Montreal Gazette did some digging on what Reed was involved in durng his time in La Belle Province:
The Montreal Gazette has learned in January this year, the Régie du logement delivered a decision allowing the owner of a residential building in Plateau Mont Royal to have Reed removed from an apartment where he had resided since October 2017. According to the decision, Reed owed the landlord $6,200 in rent not paid between September and December last year. In March, the landlord took Reed to court. While the Alouettes are not named in the court proceedings, a “football club” was referred to on each date the case was heard at the Montreal courthouse in March.
Boivin would not comment on the situation because it could potentially expose the franchise at a legal level.
For the – potentially – final capper.
.@TonyMarinaro on @TSN690:
"@matthieuproulx's sources say Kavis Reed was paying players who have personal, registered companies. Those players were paying other players. Envelopes were going around for players who need to be paid more $ to get around the cap." #CFL #MontreALS
— CFL News (@CFL_News) July 15, 2019