Football Operations: GM Ed Hervey, HC Wally Buono and the Coaching Staff

The Place for BC Lion Discussion. A forum for Lions fans to talk and chat about our team.
Discussion, News, Information and Speculation regarding the BC Lions and the CFL.
Prowl, Growl and Roar!

Moderator: Team Captains

Post Reply
User avatar
Hambone
Hall of Famer
Posts: 8175
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.

DanoT wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:56 pm
I suspect that Ed will learn some things from Wally (and he probably learned a few things in the course of getting fired in Edmonton) and that it will mainly be Wally the HC talking to media and it will be Wally deciding to open or close practices.
If Ed wants to close Lions' practices he has a lot of chain link fencing to cover up first. :wink:
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
JohnnyMusso
Champion
Posts: 963
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2015 6:03 pm

On CFL news, a lot of Eskimos fans saying hiring Hervey is a great move for BC:

From an Esks fan, BC is in good hands. He built the 2015 GC winner and found players like Derel Walker and Brandon Zylstra. Ed was a great GM and I still don't understand why we let him go.

Like · Reply · 19 · 3 hrs

Matt Davis · UTPB - The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

At least Rhodes found a competent GM to replace him. I was very worried--and highly pissed--when I heard about him being fired. I knew he wouldn't be out of the league for long.

Jackson Graham · Pipe Fitter at GMC Contractors

Agreed I was shocked when the Esks got rid of him

Matt Davis · UTPB - The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

He's the one who built our Grey Cup team in 2015. Jones coached them there but Hervey found the talent that he won it all with.

Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs
..








Ted Timmons

Didn't he put up a stink about miked-up players & coaches?

Like · Reply · 1 hr
..








Beverly Lynn Miller-Oliwa · Works at Creative Fire Studio

Yes he did. He stood up for his coaches. In EE we appreciated that he did

Like · Reply · 1 hr
..








Christy Golightly

Matt Davis, we don't know yet whether sunderland is a good GM or not yet. Besides signing a RB near the end of the season, the 2017 Eskimos team was Ed Hervey's team

Like · Reply · 48 mins
....








Jackson Graham · Pipe Fitter at GMC Contractors

He built a championship team in Edmonton and shouldn't have been let go in my opinion. The Lions are getting a good GM
JohnnyMusso
Champion
Posts: 963
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2015 6:03 pm

West Coast Joe Said:

It seems like a salesman's move, a distractor for the fans and media. OK, they made a change. But did they really change anything? Same Head Coach. Likely the same coaching staff next year. Same systems. Probably the same product on the field.

I may be optimistic here and you pessimistic or maybe you are right and me wrong, but I disagree. I think there will be changes to the coaching staff and the front office and with the players. How much I do not know. But I would not be surprised to see guys fired or leave on their own accord. The writing is on the wall for some and if opportunities present themselves elsewhere, they will take them for job security.

I expect more changes to come and I do not agree that this is just window dressing and Hervey a puppet GM, but how long he is here is likely not long, for new owner will likely clean house. But who knows when that will be.
JohnnyMusso
Champion
Posts: 963
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2015 6:03 pm

Hambone said:

would guess minimum 3 years, probably 4, which is standard term for a new GM hire.

Lowell U suggested it may only be one year for Hervey desperate for a job. No way new owner would like to pay a Gm not of their choice for 2 or 3 more years.

I guess 2 years.
User avatar
WestCoastJoe
Hall of Famer
Posts: 17721
Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 8:55 pm

JohnnyMusso wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 3:26 pm
West Coast Joe Said:
It seems like a salesman's move, a distractor for the fans and media. OK, they made a change. But did they really change anything? Same Head Coach. Likely the same coaching staff next year. Same systems. Probably the same product on the field.
I may be optimistic here and you pessimistic or maybe you are right and me wrong, but I disagree. I think there will be changes to the coaching staff and the front office and with the players. How much I do not know. But I would not be surprised to see guys fired or leave on their own accord. The writing is on the wall for some and if opportunities present themselves elsewhere, they will take them for job security.

I expect more changes to come and I do not agree that this is just window dressing and Hervey a puppet GM, but how long he is here is likely not long, for new owner will likely clean house. But who knows when that will be.
I kind of like Ed Hervey.

Wally had to do something. For 2018 this amounts to nothing. Wally is still here. I expect most of the staff will be retained. The systems will be the same. Same philosophy.

If Braley sells at the end of 2018, and the new owner cleans house, this move of hiring Hervey, both above and below Wally in the pecking order, will amount to nothing.

Again, Wally saw he had to do something. But everything is the same except we have an extra GM. This is a move to appease the fans. Does it do anything for 2018?

It might do something for 2019. If Hervey puts his stamp on things. New Head Coach. Et cetera ...

If Braley does not sell, it might amount to something in 2019. If new owners retain Hervey, it might amount to something.

In view of all the uncertainty, it is an attempt to give the fans something to hang their hats on.

I expect we will see very much of the same old stuff this year.

If Hervey put his stamp on the team starting now, I would be OK with that. Make some moves now.

What this move sells is hope for 2019.

I don't mind the hiring. Right now it does not amount to much change. Is Ed Hervey, admittedly his own man, no puppet, going to put his brand on this team this year? He has said he did not seek full control for 2018. Who knows what 2019 will bring? Does anybody really know?

I am perhaps feeling a bit better about the franchise than I felt yesterday. Is that optimism? No. For sure I do not look forward to the same old tired systems.

Hope for 2019? That is a long way off. This entire cast could be gone. One could say they are selling a dream while Braley dithers.

Do you want some real pessimism? It could feel like a shell game. You want change? OK, here is Ed Hervey, our new GM. Well, not quite yet. We still have Wally here, who has always been a GM. We have Neil McAvoy here, who has done a lot of GM work over the years. We have Geroy here, a GM in waiting. All of this is is just hanging on our owner in Hamilton, who has turned down an offer of $15 million. Meanwhile we will offer you the same old systems this year. Same offence. Same defence. Same special teams.

Optimism? Pessimism? I am just a casual observer. More casual, less emotionally involved personally, as the years go by.

Braley dithering is Problem #1. That problem persists for at least one more year. I fully expect Braley will eventually have to accept a discount on his hoped-for price.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
Dusty
Champion
Posts: 555
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 8:31 pm

Did David Braley confirm that he would be selling the team after the 2018 season or did he confirm that he would own the team in 2018. If it is the latter, then why are we assuming that a sale will take place after 2018 and new ownership will come in and clean house.... Hervey could have a longer term approach or lifespan.

While the structure is different , I think that the discussions over the next few weeks regarding the coaching staff will have a bigger impact on the team and if STH will come back than todays change....
User avatar
Toppy Vann
Hall of Famer
Posts: 9789
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 pm

Originally (today) I was no Ed Hervey fan but in looking at his record in hiring two good HCs in Edmonton (Jones, Maas) and bringing in good talent starting with QB Mike Reilly and in the wings Franklin) this might work.

I'm a convert like Paul on the road to Damascus. I want this to work and with Wally mentoring the GM on the media side or just doing it himself , Ed Hervey can do the football stuff.

Wally should stay as VP and mentor Ed Hervey in the media and fan side of the GM role (Hervey admits to being new as a GM) but let him run the football side and hire a new HC.

Wally has hired two HC and both failed.

Ed Hervey hired two HCs and both have done fine. One was a GC winner and left to run his own operation.

Wally is past his best before date as HC and this market needs a change.

Fans and media need to send Wally the message that he should not be HC and let Ed Hervey do his job.

Today's media event is proof positive where the strengths of these two guys lie and how the media aren't buying the roles:

https://www.tsn.ca/lions-name-hervey-as ... h-1.930658
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
User avatar
CardiacKid
Legend
Posts: 1949
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:46 am
Location: Under Christmas Hill, Saanich

It is still crickets when it comes to announcing a new Team President....

In fact, Wally said "David asked me not to speak on the business side of the club today".

This has to be addressed, no two ways about it.
User avatar
CardiacKid
Legend
Posts: 1949
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:46 am
Location: Under Christmas Hill, Saanich

TheLionKing wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:23 pm
Hambone wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:07 pm
TheLionKing wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:04 pm
Surprise hiring. Didn't see this one coming. Anybody know how long Hervey is signed for ?
I would guess minimum 3 years, probably 4, which is standard term for a new GM hire.
Will be interesting to see what the new owners will do. Will they retain Hervey or hire someone else for the position.
New pet theory.....

Hervey has a 2-3 year contract, timed to end the same year the CFL grants the Lions and Braley the Grey Cup. Let’s say 2019 or 2020. The league grants Braley the cup as part of an agreement to sell the team to the Waterboys at their asking price but still milk some extra $ out of the franchise before he walks away.

The new owners then have their window to retain Hervey or move in a new direction.

Spitballing, spitballing, spitballing.......
whatadisgrace
prospect
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 4:34 pm

Toppy Vann wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:26 pm
Wally has hired two HC and both failed.

Ed Hervey hired two HCs and both have done fine. One was a GC winner and left to run his own operation.

Wally is past his best before date as HC and this market needs a change.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all that Wally should not be HC but who available would be upgrade over him? Unless Dickenson is getting fired.
whatadisgrace
prospect
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 4:34 pm

What are the chances Hervey raids Eskimos of players.
Fred.Fonce
Rookie
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:29 am

I met Ed Hervey at a non football social event shortly after the Lions won the Cup in 2011. At that time Hervey was Director of Scouting I believe. I asked him what made the Lions so successful. His answer was very simple - "no team in the league can handle their O and D lines".
No big surprise I suppose but it leaves me thinking he's going to fix that. Been a long time since the Lions controlled the lines of scrimmage.

From a management structure viewpoint, today's announcement is very confusing unless its a one year transition, which it appears to be.
User avatar
Toppy Vann
Hall of Famer
Posts: 9789
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 pm

whatadisgrace wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:12 pm
Toppy Vann wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:26 pm
Wally has hired two HC and both failed.

Ed Hervey hired two HCs and both have done fine. One was a GC winner and left to run his own operation.

Wally is past his best before date as HC and this market needs a change.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all that Wally should not be HC but who available would be upgrade over him? Unless Dickenson is getting fired.
Let the GM do a search and if Wally is the best candidate let him coach.

Hervey proved twice he could find a good HC.

This is a 3 down nation write up on the presser today which shows GM Hervey hasn't learned to be a media guy and pretty much doesn't wanna be one.

Solution: Wally do the media stuff as he's great at that. Let Hervey get out and try to find a HC. IF Wally is the right guy for a year so be it.

http://3downnation.com/2017/11/30/new-l ... -edmonton/
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12581
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

Ed Willes weighs in on the convoluted power structure, with some interesting comments on the future of Geroy Simon and the coaching staff.
Hervey, meanwhile, gave every indication the bulk of the Lions’ football department and the coaching staff would remain intact. He was asked about Geroy Simon, the resident franchise icon who’s been labouring in the personnel department and who’s made clear his ambition to become a general manager.

“I’m going to help Geroy,” Hervey said. “That’s my objective.”

“I consider Ed a good friend and he’s been a valuable resource for me,” Simon said. “I think this will work.”

And, in the end, this has a chance to work. Hervey and Buono maintain they’re in this for all the right reasons. Whatever else they are, both are experienced football men with proven track records. There might be uncertainty in the uppermost reaches of the franchise, but there is now clarity in the football department and any chance of restoring the Lions has to start there.

Besides, Hervey said his priority will be fixing the Lions’ offensive and defensive lines. If he does that, you can start building the statue in front of B.C. Place.

“This team has a chance to do something special,” Hervey said. “There’s no need to blow everything up.”
Willes: Questions remain for the B.C. Lions but Hervey is the answer for now
User avatar
David
Team Captain
Posts: 9364
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 10:23 am
Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

QB Club 63 wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:30 am
dEAr SaNta,

FOr chRIStMas tHis YeaR i wouLD LIKe tO seE brYAN cHiU hirED by mY bC LioNS aS ThE neW ofFEnsiVE liNE COach. :cr: :cr: :cr:

tHAnk Yuo,

yoUR frIENd,
qB CLub 63 :roar:
:rotf: This really cracked me up QB Club 63. Very creative!

And yes, I agree. Bryan Chiu would be a great hire. But I doubt he's willing to relocate back to Vancouver.

I would not be at all surprised to see Hervey bring in at least 2 new coaches. OC? Highly possible IMHO.


DH :cool:
Roar, You Lions, Roar
Post Reply