CFL: New Coach and High Expectations for BC Lions

When you win the 99th Grey Cup one season, there’s only one target for the next one. Mike Benevides is the new man in charge of the BC Lions and he knows anything less than winning the 100th Grey Cup will be a step back from last year’s memorable campaign.

Big shoes to fill
Wally Buono went out on as big a high as they come. Having led the Lions to Grey Cup glory in BC Place, Buono moved upstairs to be the franchise’s new GM. Recognizing the need for new coach Mike Benavides to be front and center, Buono is deliberately stepping back from the limelight for now. “In fairness to everybody, Mike needs to be visible and I need to be invisible. If I wanted to be the head coach, then I should be the head coach. I don’t want to be looking over Mike’s shoulders. I don’t want to be visible in that respect,” Buono told Kamloops This Week.

Buono, the winningest coach in CFL history, overcame a 0-5 start to lead the Lions to Grey Cup glory. That rough start led to calls for his head before the epic turnaround silenced the doubters. The Lions GM knows that if even a veteran with his track record can’t escape media criticism, a rookie like Benevides will most assuredly be in the firing line. By taking attention away from him, Buono won’t cast quite the shadow he otherwise could have.

All about the ring
Toronto-born Benevides already has three Grey Cup rings but his quest for a fourth will prove the most challenging. The new head coach inherits a veteran-laden team, led by last year’s Grey Cup winning quarterback Travis Lulay. Benevides is already laying down a marker at training camp, setting a harder regimen than in recent seasons.

The move makes sense considering BC’s early season performance over the last three years. If 2011 was an aberration it would be one thing but the Lions have endured horrible starts every year since 2009. The Lions are 2-13 in games before August over the last three seasons. Benevides wants this team to compete in the West from the start and not be reliant on heroic comebacks, however breath-taking they may be.

This new look approach to camp could benefit the rookies in BC. The most notable new addition is Jabar Westerman. Having been selected with the second overall pick in the draft, Westerman is the only non-import defensive lineman on the Lions’ roster. The high profile draftee now has a real chance at earning a place in the starting line-up for Week 1.

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