The Argonauts' Bart Andrus Is Gone, So What's Next?

The Toronto Argonauts officially said goodbye to Bart Andrus today.  This move comes as no surprise to anyone and was only delayed by the league's request that no unpleasant business be conducted until after the Grey Cup.

In my first article as a featured writer of the CFL for B/R, I predicted that if the offense did not improve, Bart Andrus would lose his job.

There really isn't much to say about Andrus's tenure in Toronto.

He was given a lot of leeway to bring in his own coaching staff which had no CFL experience and he also chose to be his own offensive coordinator. 

The result was a disasterous 3-15 record and a non-playoff appearance.  The offense in particular was horrible.

Kerry Joseph continued to look lost in Toronto and experiments to replace him with Cody Pickett and other would-be quarterbacks met with failure. 

The only bright spot on the team was running back Jamal Robertson.

To make matters worse, Andrus could not get along with star wide receiver Arland Bruce III, and defensive back Byron Parker.  Both now have been lost to the team and have starting positions in Hamilton and Edmonton.

But that is now the past.  If the CFL wants a strong prescence in Toronto, a quick turn around is a must and it is unlikely because this team needs a major overhaul, the kind that got Hamilton back to respectability last year, after years of futility.

The two most pressing holes to fill are a competent head coach and a star quarterback.

For the first position, at today's press conference, the two names mentioned by the media were the return of Pinball Clemons, or hiring Greg Marshall.

While President Bob Nicholson indicated that CFL coaching experience was now going to be factor in the choice of coach, he obviously was not going to name anybody until a formal interview process was conducted.

Certainly a coach with CFL experience will be a step in the right direction.  Clemons, with his previous success in Toronto, would assure the fans that the team is trying to turn things around quickly with a popular and competent coach.

The quarterbacking position is just as important. 

In my opinion, the Argonauts need to go back to 1971 when they brought in a young 21 year old Joe Theismann to quarterback the team.  Not only was he a competent quarterback who led the team to the Grey Cup final, only to lose it because of Leon McQuay's legendary fumble, he captured the interest and imagination of Toronto's football fans.

If this team wants to go forward, and attract crowds consistently over 30,000 and perhaps 40,000, they need somebody with that kind of talent and charisma in the key position and spare no expense to get him.  A young hotshot with talent is what is needed.

Currently the only real stars in Toronto are Chris Bosh (who may be leaving after this year), Roy Halliday (who will be traded), and the emerging Phil Kessel.  The city is wide open to any local sports hero who can grab its imagination.

Another angle would be to draft one the top Canadian quarterbacks from the CIS, give him a real chance to win the job, and milk it for all its worth.  But I doubt that the Argonauts would pursue such an enlightened course.

The team also needs an upgrade in Canadian talent like Saskatchewan has, and improved play from the wide receivers.  There are probably other holes to fill as well.

But with Andrus' removal, the rebuilding process has begun.  Like Hamilton before them, the Argonauts have a long way to go.