After the Winnipeg Blue Bombers removed head coach Tim Burke's interim status, it appeared the CFL's off-season would be devoid of even just one head coaching search.
As TSN's Dave Naylor pointed out on Twitter, it would have been the first time since 1987 that a new head coaching hire didn't enter the league over the winter.
But after Tuesday's surprising news out of Hamilton, that possibility was lost, meaning fans and media alike can now begin the annual ritual of speculation: who will replace George Cortez with the Tiger-Cats?
The Ticats can go one of two ways with this decision: first, appoint a new GM who will then find the team's next head coach, or go ahead and hire someone they feel comfortable with to fill both roles. Of course a few names have already been floated out there.
Kent Austin, the current Cornell University head coach and former Grey Cup-winning Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach, has the credentials to fill both roles in Hamilton, should the Ticats be able to lure him away from the Ivy League school.
Joe Womack, Hamilton's current director of player personnel, could also be under consideration. Reports surfaced earlier this month that Womack was under consideration for the soon-to-be-created GM job in Ottawa; should the Ticats want Womack to stick around, a promotion may be needed.
There's also a pool of experienced GMs currently looking for jobs that Hamilton could peruse as well. Recently-fired Edmonton Eskimos GM Eric Tillman won a Grey Cup as Toronto Argonauts GM back in the 90s; Hamilton is just an hour's drive west on the QEW.
The Rouge asks: Who should the Hamilton Tiger-Cats target as their next general manager?
