A Toronto native is the Argonauts’ newest head coach, sources have told Metro.
According to the sources, including one at CFL headquarters, Mike Benevides has all but officially dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on a contract with the Argos and will be introduced as their coach at a media conference either this week or next.
“It’s essentially a done deal and it’s just a matter now of choosing the best possible time to announce it,” one of the sources said. “They (the Argos) are looking for maximum media exposure so they’ll probably wait till the holidays are over. But it’s safe to report that Mike will be coaching in Toronto in 2009.”
Regular Metro readers won’t be surprised. It was reported first in this space on Nov. 12 that Benevides would be offered the Argos’ job if Michael (Pinball) Clemons rejected ownership’s wish for him to leave the club’s presidential office and return as coach. Clemons decided against a coaching comeback and so club management prepared a list of coaching candidates, with Benevides right at the top of it.
For the past nine seasons, Benevides has been an assistant coach in the CFL. Last season, he was the B.C. Lions’ defensive co-ordinator and his unit excelled, with seven Western all-stars.
Benevides will be the Argos’ first Canadian head coach since Hall of Famer Russ Jackson in 1976.
Sources suggest Benevides is highly touted by Argos co-owner David Cynamon. Both studied business at York University.
• The Blue Jays were diligently pursuing Milton Bradley until last week, when they heard through the grapevine that the free-agent slugger would be signing for megabucks with the Chicago Cubs.
But hold on.
Adam Dunn, who has hit 40-plus home runs in five consecutive seasons, is trying to persuade the Cubs to sign him for their right-field vacancy instead of Bradley. Despite Dunn’s defensive deficiencies (he’s even worse in the outfield than Bradley), the Cubs might bite, which would mean a Toronto-Bradley connection is still possible, although other clubs, including the Tampa Bay Rays, covet him, as well.
• So get this:
Rutgers runs a planned play in a U.S. college bowl game yesterday in which the quarterback throws a behind-the-line pass to a 6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive lineman, who then turns around and fires a forward pass into the end zone to a receiver.
The pass was incomplete. Wasn’t even close, actually, prompting ESPN analyst Shaun King to emerge with this gem: “This is what happens when an offensive co-ordinator has too much time on his hands waiting for a bowl game.”
Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca
