In the aftermath of a heart-breaking 33-25 Grey Cup loss, Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach Orlondo Steinauer refused to engage in speculation regarding his future in the CFL.
Reports have circulated all week that the 48-year old was in line to take over the role of defensive coordinator with the University of Washington Huskies. While the coach would not comment on the matter after his overtime defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he did not offer an outright denial.
“I’m not even commenting on that. I don’t have anything to say,” Steinauer deflected post-game. “We just lost a Grey Cup, man. I’m where my feet are.”
The University of Washington recently hired Kalen Deboer as the Huskies head coach. He was on the same coaching staff when Steinauer spent one season with the Fresno State University Bulldogs in 2017. Deboer was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while Steinauer held the defensive coordinator position.
Deboer signed a five-year contract with Washington worth $16.5 million in total and it will pay him $3.1 million for the 2022 season. Steinauer could net over $1 million per season if he was to sign on with the Huskies, which would be more than double his current salary with the black and gold.
Steinauer returned to the Ticats in 2018 as the team’s assistant head coach after one season as Fresno State. He was part of the Bulldogs’ remarkable turnaround, posting a 10-4 record and winning the Hawaii Bowl over the University of Houston.
Fresno State was just one year removed from a 1-11 record and became the second team in NCAA Division I Football history to go from double-digit losses one season to double-digit wins the next. The Seattle, WA native was a Broyles Award nominee, which is an annual award given to the best assistant coach in NCAA football.
Steinauer is the 26th head coach in Hamilton history and the seventh to win the Annis Stukus Trophy as CFL Coach of the Year following Greg Marshall (2004), Ron Lancaster (1998), Al Bruno (1989), Bob Shaw (1976), Ralph Sazio (1964) and Jim Trimble (1961).
The 48-year-old Steinauer tied the league record for wins by a first-year head coach in 2019. The Tiger-Cats produced a single-season franchise-best mark of 15-3 on the way to first place in the East Division as the Ticats went 9-0 at home for the first time in team history. However, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers upset the Tabbies in the 107th Grey Cup. They pulled the rug out from underneath him again two years later in the rematch.
He took over an eight-win Tiger-Cats team and helped them improve by seven wins, finishing first overall in the CFL standings for the first time since 1998 and capturing the East Division title for the first time since 2014.
While leading the Ticats, Steinauer has produced a 23-9 record (.719 win percentage) with a 3-2 playoff mark and helped Hamilton reach two consecutive CFL championship games, but failed to capture his first ring as a head coach in the three-down league.
Steinauer had previously spent four years on Kent Austin’s coaching staff in Hamilton (2013-2016), originally joining the organization as defensive coordinator in January 2013. He was promoted to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in May 2016.
The Seattle, Washington native’s defensive units helped lead the Ticats to Grey Cup appearances in 2013 and 2014 and consistently ranked at or near the top of the league in many defensive categories. The unit produced numerous CFL all-stars, including mainstays defensive lineman Ted Laurent, linebacker Simoni Lawrence and defensive back Delvin Breaux.
Steinauer’s coaching career began in 2010 and includes stops with the Toronto Argonauts (2010-2012) and Western Washington University (1996-1998) when he was still an active player. It’s worth noting Steinauer played for Lynnwood High School in Washington, his home state.
As a player, Steinauer captured two Grey Cup rings in 13 CFL seasons as a defensive back with the Ottawa Rough Riders (1996), Ticats (1997-2000) and Argos (2001-2008.) He was named an all-star at three different positions (cornerback, halfback and safety), earning five CFL all-star honours while his 1,178 interception return yards are the second most in league history.
Steinauer was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021.
