November 22, 2024

The Search For the Next General Manager is Already Underway

September 14, 2024; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat the Ottawa Redblacks 37-21 at Tim Hortons Field. Photo by John E. Sokolowski

So, here’s what’s next for the Tiger-Cats.

The process has already begun to replace General Manager Ed Hervey who, after three years with the Ticats—the final one in the GM’s seat—was hired by the Edmonton Elks earlier this week as their new general manager and vice-president of football operations.

Orlondo Steinauer, the Ticats’ president of football operations, will compile a list of candidates for the job over the next few weeks then make a recommendation to the selection committee, which will include Ticats’ Managing Partner Scott Mitchell, President and Chief Operating Officer Matt Afinec and Steinauer himself.

It will be clear that the new GM will be the football operations decision-maker, fully empowered to run football ops while reporting to Steinauer who, in turn, reports to ownership. It’s similar to the structure of many organizations in pro sport, including in the NHL, where the general manager runs the team operations and the president is a conduit to ownership as well as a source of help and information for the GM and staff.

“First, I want to express that I’m extremely happy for Ed,” Steinauer said today. “I was extremely pleased with the three years he spent with us, and I really got to forge a relationship with him. The reason he was promoted at this time last year was that it was time for him to have more responsibility. He did a tremendous job for us, and I want to wish him the best and thank him. He was invaluable to me.”

This will be Steinauer’s first broad hunt for a GM. Last year, Hervey was already in the organization and impressing the president, so the search didn’t take long.

“There’s a process that’s in place right now,” Steinauer said. “We’re going to cast a wide net for candidates. There’s going to be a good mix of youth and experience. At the end of the day, it’s not extremely time-sensitive, but we’re not going to drag our feet.

There’ll be a change and change can be good. It’s one day at a time. It’s not an overnight thing. There’s phone calls, follow-up, due diligence, research, a lot of things to cover.”

Arguably, this will be the first time since Bob O’Billovich left the team after 2012 that there will be a stand-alone GM. Kent Austin followed Obie, but also served as the head coach. After that, there was the well-oiled trio of Steinauer, who was also coaching, and co-assistant general managers Shawn Burke and Drew Allemang, followed by a “hybrid” group that included Hervey, who was elevated to GM around this time last year when Steinauer decided to pass the head coaching reins to Scott Milanovich—who remains with the team—and concentrate on the president’s role.

Steinauer would not discuss any specific names but said that there will likely be eight to 10 candidates.

“There’s no set number,” he explained. “As you’re going through it, you may add more people. Nobody will be excluded from the process. It’ll be everything from youth with new ideas to people who are extremely experienced and have won Grey Cups.”

While free agency does not begin until February, CFL teams may talk with their own pending free agents now and Steinauer emphasized that the organization is not in limbo in that regard.

“Conversations with players are always ongoing, and we maintain consistent communication with our free agents. The head coach is in place. I’m here. The work still goes on,” he explained.

During the GM hiring process, Scott Mitchell will be advised by Wally Buono. He and Buono, the winningest-coach in CFL history and a Canadian Football Hall of Famer, have been close friends for more than two decades. Buono won’t make any decisions and his main role is to advise the managing partner. He will also advise Steinauer during the search but the choice of the final candidates to be presented to the formal selection committee is Steinauer’s

“I’m really looking forward to this process,” Steinauer said. “You go in with a very open mindset. It’s an exciting time.”