The Alouettes have final candidates for their head coach position, according to Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette.
Two of whom are Tommy Condell, now considered the favourite due to his offensive background, and Mark Washington. The third is believed to be either Kerwin Bell or Oscar Giles. Both Bell and Giles played with Reed at Edmonton.
Condell and Washington have either had or are scheduled to do a second interview.
Condell won a Grey Cup with the Argos in 2017 after joining the club as a special advisor in January, then moving to receivers’ coach after Marc Trestman was hired as head coach. He spent 2016 out of football after unexpectedly resigning from the Ticats in April.
If Condell’s hired, the Als might trade for Tiger-Cats quarterback Zach Collaros — although Kent Austin might not want to do Condell any favours, the two parting on less than amicable terms.
In his three years with the Ticats, Condell helped the team make two Grey Cup appearances. In his final season, the Tiger-Cats had the CFL’s top-ranked passing offence and were second in points scored, despite starting four different quarterbacks – Zach Collaros, Jeff Mathews, Jacory Harris, and Jeremiah Masoli – due to injury.
Washington played six years for Montreal at defensive back from 1997-2002. After playing five seasons in B.C. he became the Lions’ defensive backs coach in 2008 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014.Back in 2012 Washinton interviewed for the Alouettes head coach role, but it ultimately went to Marc Trestman.
Bell played quarterback for seven seasons in the CFL with the Gold Miners, Eskimos, Argos and Bombers. He was Toronto’s offensive coordinator in 2000 and 2001. Currently, Bell is the head coach at Valdosta State.
At the beginning of his CFL career, Giles signed with Edmonton, but never played a game for the Eskimos. He was traded to San Antonio Texans and then played two seasons for the Argos in 1996 and 1997 as a defensive lineman. Giles is the assistant head coach and defensive line coach at the Universty of Houston and he’s had stints at Louisiana Tech, Texas, Southern Methodist and Texas State.
Narrowing the search for a bench boss could mean Montreal names a head man soon.
