Buffalo Bills' George Cortez Named Hamilton Tiger-Cats Head Coach

by MattRichWarren on Jan 8, 2012 10:59 AM EST in Buffalo Bills News

The Buffalo Bills are now looking to fill two assistant coaching vacancies this off-season, as quarterbacks coach George Cortez was hired yesterday by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Cortez will be the team's head coach and Director of Football Operations.

Cortez has spent most of his coaching career in Canada. Before coming to the Bills as Chan Gailey's quarterbacks coach, he was the offensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders - and has had great success calling the plays with the wide-open rules up north. The Stampeders won the Grey Cup in 2008 with quarterback Henry Burris, who will join Cortez in Hamilton.

"I am very, very excited to announce that George Cortez has been hired as the new head coach and director of football operations of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats," said team caretaker Bob Young. "George's track record of success speaks for itself, including more than 30 years of coaching experience in the CFL, NFL and NCAA. He's been a part of four Grey Cup championship teams, has engineered some of the CFL's most prolific offences and has coached some of the best quarterbacks in professional football. We're extremely confident that he will build us a championship-calibre program here in Hamilton."

Gailey was supportive of Cortez's decision, and had this to say in a press release from the Bills yesterday:

"George did an excellent job during his time with us and I want to offer my congratulations to him in his new role as head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-cats. We're excited for him with this new opportunity and wish him the best of luck."

No candidates have emerged to replace either Cortez or inside linebackers coach Dave Wannstedt, who was promoted to defensive coordinator. Should the Bills switch back to a 4-3, there may not be a need to replace Wannstedt at all. It should be noted that prior to joining the staff, Cortez and Gailey had never worked together, so his replacement does not necessarily need to be someone on Gailey's coaching tree.

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Congratulations george

Come on gailey go get someone for fitzy

With the first pick in the 2012 draft the Indianapolis Colts select Robert Griffen III

by Gpluehri on Jan 8, 2012 11:13 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Peyton Manning.

by Xaviermw on Jan 8, 2012 11:22 AM EST reply actions

Frank Reich will do

With the first pick in the 2012 draft the Indianapolis Colts select Robert Griffen III

by Gpluehri on Jan 8, 2012 11:57 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

There where a few ex bills players coaching the indy team. I forget if frank reich was the qb coach.

"This is a chance to shine some light on the city, They say it’s too cold. I’m going to bring some warmth to it." Marcell Dareus

by matthew62 on Jan 8, 2012 12:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Is big Pete still there?

"My new cat just farted on my lap. Smells like Bills football." BG.

by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Jan 8, 2012 4:42 PM EST up reply actions

Next Bills ILB coach will be Andra Davis.

When the job is finished no one remembers how long it took, just how well it was performed.

by Buffalo for Eternity on Jan 8, 2012 11:51 AM EST reply actions

That actually wouldn’t be a bad move. But I’d prefer someone who has expirience coaching.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 11:59 AM EST up reply actions

While I won’t say that’s crazy, normally guys have to start as unpaid interns or, if they are compensated, as the Defensive Quality Control Coach.

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 8, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions

This is a great move fot the Ti-Cats.

George was a great OC in the CFL. His best years were with Burris as his QB so this would be a great for for him too now that the Ti-Cats traded for Burris.

I’m sorry to see him leave the Bills but I’m very excited to see him beomce the HC for my favorite CFL team.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 11:58 AM EST reply actions

Can you explain the “caretaker” thing for me with Bob Young? Who is the owner?

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 8, 2012 12:20 PM EST up reply actions

Young is the owner of the team.

I don’t know what the caretaker thing is about. However Young did buy the Ti-Cats in 2003 and has been a very hands on owner since then. Not in the Jerry Jones interfere-in-every-football-decision type way, he’s been very good about lettint his football people do their job.

He is more the type of owner that will call up big name free agents himself though, taking them straight off of NFL practise squads or calling up college stars when they don’t get drafted. A good example is last season (2010) he personally called up Stevie Baggs, who lead the CFL in sacks in 2009, after Baggs didn’t make it in the NFL. 3 of the 8 CFL teams went after Baggs, but the Ti-Cats were the only team when the owner himself made the call and that was enough for Baggs.

He’s also been very involved in getting the Ti-Cats a new stadium (they’ve been playing in Ivro Wynne Stadium since 1950), but also making sure that it would be a stadium that works for Hamilton as well. The GTA (Greater TorontoArea) was awwareded the British Commonwealth Games (the Commonwealth’s version of the Olympics) for 2014 and Hamilton is the city that will have the host stadium. That same stadium will also become the new stadium for the Ti-Cats. Young has been working with the city for almost 2 years now, trying to get the right deal done.

Young has been a very good owner for the Ti-Cats. But attendance has been dwindling due to the fact that team hasn’t won a championship since 1999, which is a long time in the CFL considering there are only 8 teams, so any championship draught that lasts for more than a decade is considered a long time in the CFL. And with a 9th team opening up shop in Ottawa for the 2014 season, and possibily another one in the Maritimes by 2018, and a 60 year old stadium, you can see why the fans are getting down.

Trading for Burress (even if he is 36) and hiring Cortez is a very good way to build on what is already a very promissing Ti-Cats team. Burress is still one of the top 3 QB’s in the CFL, but hasn’t been the same since Cortez left. As for his age, many top QB’s have played into their early 40’s in the CFL, with the most recent examples being Marcus Allen and Danny McManus. Anthony Calvillo, the current starter for the Montreal Allouettes, is going to turn 40 next season. But seeing as he just broke the reconrd for most passing yards in Pro-Football history (73 412 over an 18 year career) and still came running up for league MVP this year, Calvillo has a few years left on his own.

Which is to say that while Burress might be older, and even if he did show signs of slowing in Calgary last season (which is why the Stampeders traded him) a reunion with Cortez might be just what the doctor ordered. And i’ts definitely enough to get the fan base energized. So for Young all of this makes a lot of sense: it’s an upgrade at QB, an upgrade at HC, a great HC/QB combo, and a great way to get more fans in the seats.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 1:07 PM EST up reply actions

Wow that was a longer post than I expected, also probably giving you much more info than you really wanted. But it does give you a small glymps into the microcosim that is the CFL.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 1:08 PM EST up reply actions

Go Bombers!

I think Burris is done, but who knows.

One guy I think the Bills should try out is Javon Johnson. He’s a bit small but could be decent depth, what do you think CBF?

Do you see any other potential CFLers as fits with the Bills?

by ManitobaBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 1:49 PM EST up reply actions

Sorry spelling error: Jovon Johnson.

by ManitobaBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 1:53 PM EST up reply actions

I would love for the Bills to try out Johnson. Him and Browner form the best CB combo that the CFl had seen in the last decade. Now Browner is going to the Pro-Bowl as a Seahawk. I think that Johnson could have very simular success opposite Williams. At the very least he would be an upgrade over Florence in the slot.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:03 PM EST up reply actions

Another guy I really like is Solomon Elimimian. He is smallish linebacker, but in a 4-3 could be decent on the outside. Small but the guy hits hard and is super fast.

by ManitobaBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:10 PM EST up reply actions

Can't until next year though, he's still under contract for 1 more season.

And I don’t care how “small” Elimimian is (my favorite LB in the CFL BTW), as long as he keeps on hitting people like a freight train on every single tackle he does then it won’t be long until we see him in the NFL.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

But you also have to remember that we already had Elimimian under contract in 2009. He played 2 pre-season games for us before Dick Jauron and Co let him go.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

I didn’t even know that, that’s interesting. I can’t remember him, and i watched every game since 1999 probably, guess he didn’t stand out much.

by ManitobaBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

I thought that name sounded familiar!

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Citi Field loves the mets so much it smothers them. -the caveman

by WhyBillsWhy on Jan 9, 2012 11:28 AM EST up reply actions

Same here when I first saw him in the CFL.

But his game has improved a lot since his very short stint with the hapless Bills. He tackles like a freight train. His coverage skills were always decent, and probably wont get much better. But he’s the CFL’s top run stopper and arguably its top LB too. he’d need to put on weight if he wanted to come back to the NFL, but he very well could be the next Cameron Wake…. except that his best fit is as a 4-3 Sam LB as opposed to a pass rusher in the 3-4.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 10, 2012 1:07 AM EST up reply actions

1 more year, that stinks.

yeah i totally agree, he won’t be in the CFL for long. I just looked it up and he runs a 4.56 40 according the the CBS scouting report.

by ManitobaBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

He’s a Cover 2 LB in the NFL at best. Personally I think he’d be better off staying in the CFL because he’d bbe a fringe reserve at best in the NFL. At least until he gains another 15 pounds of muscle.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 8, 2012 2:31 PM EST up reply actions

Johnson is awesome

do you remember that comeback game against the Lions the season before this one when he took that punt return and it looked like he was going to get smashed and he somehow came out of it and made good yardage which helped the Bombers get into game-tying field position? I still don’t know how he made that play!

Check out http://mocknfldrafts.blogspot.com/

by Billsdownunder on Jan 9, 2012 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

He’s one of the CFL’s top returners (which is quite the statement seeing as I’d put up the top returners in the CFL against the top returners in the NFL any day and it would usually come up even) as well as the CFL’s top CB.

If we’re going to poach any player from the CFL it should be Johnson.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 10, 2012 1:02 AM EST up reply actions

congrats to him for getting a better job. not that working for the Bills is bad but more that being a head coach is a big honor. Overall though not too much of a loss. should be easy to replace.

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by Dana H on Jan 8, 2012 12:55 PM EST reply actions

Alex Van Pelt is the only candidate I can think of. I should preface this by saying that I have absolutely no idea who the candidates would be, so my list isn’t worth much.

by silvermike on Jan 8, 2012 2:10 PM EST reply actions