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Sunday, June 14, 2015

Marc Mueller Continues To Evolve as a Coach in Calgary



The past calendar year has been a giant learning experience for Marc Mueller.
But after spending his first season on the Calgary Stampeders coaching staff as a defensive assistant, the former University of Regina quarterback and grandson of the legendary Ron Lancaster is back where he feels most comfortable, on the offensive of the football.
Over the off-season, Mueller was moved to running backs coach, with Brent Monson being flipped to linebackers coach, where he spent the 2009 and '10 seasons with the Stamps.
"I'm used to playing offence being a quarterback and coaching quarterbacks at the U of R, so it just comes faster," Mueller said this week after spending part of his morning testing out the arm that set numerous school records with the Rams by spinning footballs to his backfield charges in individual drills.
His first year on GM/head coach John Hufnagel's staff wasn't supposed to be about comfort. It was about getting Mueller's feet wet and giving him a different perspective.
Now, however, he's eager to learn even more in Year 2 from two men with lengthy offensive resumes.
"You couldn't ask for better guys to learn from than Huff and (offensive co-ordinator) Dave (Dickenson), two of the best offensive minds in the history of the league," Mueller said. "Just try to keep learning every day and get better and, hopefully, take what I've learned and continue to win football games."
Mueller has five running backs and four fullbacks under his watchful eye in training camp, and it's an enviable spot to be in, considering the level of talent.
The intriguing camp battle when it comes to the running backs is between American tailbacks Keith Toston, who spent last season languishing in a messy Saskatchewan Roughriders backfield, and Tory Harrison, who has won back-to-back Indoor Football League championships with the Sioux Falls Storm.
"They're both really good backs," Mueller said. "They both bring unique traits, but they both can really succeed in our offence because they're good running backs who both like getting to the second level and they can both make guys miss."
They're fighting for the right to be the Jon Cornish insurance policy, in case lightning strikes twice and the backfield is decimated by injuries for a second year in a row.
Five different running backs started for the Stampeders in '14, but the rushing attack didn't suffer one bit as the ground game still churned out a CFL-best 143.9 yards per game.
Dickenson wants a guy who can carry the load waiting in the wings.
"What I want is for them to show us they can be the feature guy -- both of them," Dickenson said of the battle between Toston and Harrison. "We really have some tough decisions at running back in how many we're going to keep, and all the guys seem to be performing quite well."
Harrison spent two weeks on the practice roster last August, right around the time the Stamps were searching high and low for ball-carriers.
"I'm just glad I got a chance to come in for a little while and let the coaches see what I can do," Harrison said. "I definitely think I can be a good fit in this league and to this team. With my skills, I can catch out of the backfield and also run between the tackles and, I think, any team could use that."

(Calgary Sun)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marc will be the next coach of the Rams and that will be in 2017. BOOK IT!

I didn't like the Gibson hire from the get-go and hearing some things along with reading some things, I think the team is not going to be very good.

Hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am

Shane

Anonymous said...


Matt Dunigan said a lot about Gibson this week. If you missed it, here ya go. Unbelievable!!


http://www.tsn.ca/ottawa-redblacks-season-preview-1.288120

Anonymous said...

Gibson haters desist! The season has not even started, sheesh!

Enahs

Anonymous said...

I didn't like the Gibson hire because I think there were more worthy candidates---local candidates out there who could have taken the step up.

Gibson has a CFL pedigree and he has a Grey Cup ring though. I am willing to give him some rope and see what he does with it, but I think its fair to say if the Rams don't do well in the next couple of years that they take a serious look at Marc who will be ready to jump on board if need be.

Everyone just needs to settle down and see how the season plays out.

Anonymous said...

To Enahs

Have you read that TSN article? Dunnigan wouldn't report on anything that isn't true so why would you act that way as a coach? Please answer that?

Anonymous said...


The Dunigan article makes me wonder if the people who hired Mike actually did their homework and placed some calls. I am sure this info would have been given out. While the article doesn't paint Mike in a good light, it makes the hiring committee look very bad. The U of R should be asking some questions about the thoroughness of the process.

Hopefully Mike gets this team to where the University wants it to be at, but he has a huge hill to climb. The players like him so whether or not that like translates into wins will be found out soon.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait for the Huskies to lay a 30 point beating on the Lambs! GO DOGS!!