Event Date: January 27th, 1983
Event Description: Winds of Change
Source: United Press International
It would be unfair to suggest the winds of change - with the United States Football League providing the biggest gust -- have swept through the CFL coaching ranks. It's more like a hurricane.
In what may be remembered as the “brain drain,” the USFL, in its search for coaching and management personnel to date, have lured two head coaches, one general manager and 11 assistant coaches from the CFL into its fold.
What began as a trickle is quickly turning into a flood, with several of the league's assistants following the lead of head coaches Hugh Campbell and Ray Jauch, who left their head coaching posts at Edmonton and Winnipeg to take over at the helms of Los Angeles and Washington, respectively, in the new league.
The departure of Campbell and Jauch triggered a domino effect, with two of Campbell's former assistants (Gene Gaines and Bruce Lemmerman) joining him in Los Angeles and his other two assistants (defensive co-ordinator Don Matthews with B.C. and offensive co-ordinator Cal Murphy with Winnipeg) earning head coaching posts elsewhere.
“It's changed the whole structre of the league,” said Toronto's director of football operations Jim Eddy, a former head coach at Saskatchewan and Montreal. “It's the biggest change to happen since I've been in the league. It's unbelievable.”
Calgary coach and general manager Jack Gotta, also a former coach in the WFL, is impressed by the salary figures being bandied about in the new league.
“I think the one thing that's so different between the USFL and the WFL is the USFL is paying their coaches exceptionally well, up to NFL standards,” said Gotta, who was approached by Birmingham of the USFL.
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