The Edmonton Eskimos made changes on Thursday as Danny Maciocia stepped aside as head coach to concentrate on his duties as director of football operations with the club.
"I want to say it's been a tremendous honour and privilege to be the head coach here for the past four years," said Maciocia on Thursday. "For a Canadian kid growing up there's no better dream job in the football world than to be part of something as unique as the flagship franchise of the CFL, the Edmonton Eskimos."
The team did not name a replacement for their head coaching position.
According to the Edmonton Journal, Maciocia has expressed a desire to get away from his coaching career and spend more time with family.
''Danny has a deep understanding of the game itself and a strong grasp of business,'' said Eskimos president and CEO Rick LeLacheur. ''This move will allow him to not only continue to learn the business, but to be able to look at the big picture.''
In 2005, Maciocia became the first head coach in Eskimos history to lead the team to a Grey Cup victory after a third place regular season finish. But the team missed the playoffs the next two seasons before earning a berth in the East Division Semifinal as the cross-over team this season.
The Eskimos put together a 10-8 record and defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 29-21 in the East Semi-Final before falling to the Montreal Alouettes 36-26 in the East Final.
