Quantcast
CFL coaches on verge of axing? – Metro US

CFL coaches on verge of axing?

Two more CFL head coaches are in serious jeopardy of losing their jobs, Metro has been told.

Danny Maciocia, who only last season led the Eskimos to the Grey Cup championship in his first year as a head coach, is no longer in the good books of Edmonton bossman Hugh Campbell, and sources say another embarrassing loss or two will mean he will be replaced by Greg Marshall. A former Edmonton player, Marshall recently was fired as Hamilton’s head coach.

Sources say Campbell and Marshall already have been talking.

The Esks lost a mind-boggler to Winnipeg last Thursday, when Milt Stegall turned a 100-yard, catch-and-run into the winning touchdown on the game’s final play. There are those in the Edmonton locker room who believe defensive co-ordinator Rick Campbell ought to take the heat for the play instead of Maciocia but, hey, let’s get serious. Rick is Hugh’s son.

• In Saskatchewan, meanwhile, the heat’s on Danny Barrett, who’s in his seventh year as the Roughriders’ head coach and has experienced very little success.

One or two more clunkers, like last week’s loss to the Argos in Regina, and look for one of Barrett’s assistants, likely Richie Hall or George Cortez, to become his successor.

• Get this: Detroit may take Barry Bonds off San Francisco’s hands for the stretch drive. Tigers manager Jim Leyland likes Bonds because of their days together in Pittsburgh … The Blue Jays are concerned they may not be able to obtain shortstop Julio Lugo now that Boston and the Mets also are trying to trade for him, so their Plan B is Cesar Izturis, the ex-Jay who’s been playing third base for the Dodgers this year … The Jays know there’s no way they can make the post-season with rookie Casey Janssen in the starting rotation, so they’re seeking a more established arm — and add Jon Lieber, Jake Westbrook, Freddy Garcia and Kip Wells to the list of possibilities.

• The wife of Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb is a Hamiltonian and there’s talk that way down the road, when his NFL career with the Eagles is over, he might want to play for the Ticats … Obscured by all the rhetoric lately about Ricky Williams and Doug Flutie was a spectacular performance the other night by the Argos’ Bashir Levingston, who scored two long touchdowns in Regina and reminded us that he is the CFL’s most exciting player.

Marty York’s column appears Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Listen for Marty on The ROCK 94.9 FM, Monday and Friday at 8:40 a.m.

marty.york@metronews.ca