 |
Richie Hall wasn't able to follow in the shoes of Marc Trestman or John Hufnagel.
The head coaches of the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders, respectively, both reached last year's Grey Cup game in their first seasons in the CFL.
But missing on such a lofty goal doesn't mean Hall's rookie season as a head coach was wasted.
INTERESTING
"It was interesting because you're tied in a lot of different ways, you're pulled in a lot of different ways," said the former longtime defensive co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
"I learned the patience in myself. I like to think I learned the strength and the courage to make decisions, to feel good about decisions -- not to second-guess yourself or to doubt yourself -- and just to be a consistent leader for our football team."
Now a head coach, Hall doesn't take the approach of ruling with an iron fist.
He relies on just being himself to get the most out of his players, for better or worse.
"To show the players that I am human because we had some devastating losses.
"I know my role as a head coach but at the same time, my heart went out to them," Hall said.
UNDERSTANDING
"To be able to show them your emotional side, it's nothing to be ashamed of. This is just who I am and I like to think they have a better understanding of Richie Hall as a person at the end of the year so coming back to next year they understand."
And with understanding comes an environment every head coach strives for, one that allows players to improve and succeed.
"They understand what I'm looking for," he said.
"They understand what the expectation and the demands are for our football team in order to go forward."