Richie Hall

Last updated

Richie Hall
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Richie Hall.jpg
Hall in 2007
Born: (1960-10-04) October 4, 1960 (age 63)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Career information
CFL status American
Position(s) Defensive coach
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight160 lb (73 kg)
College Colorado State
Career history
As coach
19942000 Saskatchewan Roughriders
(Defensive Secondary)
20012008 Saskatchewan Roughriders
(Defensive coordinator)
20092010 Edmonton Eskimos
(Head coach)
2010 Edmonton Eskimos
(Defensive coordinator)
20112014 Saskatchewan Roughriders
(Defensive coordinator)
20152023 Winnipeg Blue Bombers
(Defensive coordinator)
2024–presentWinnipeg Blue Bombers
(Defensive coach)
As player
19831987 Calgary Stampeders
19881991 Saskatchewan Roughriders
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star 1983
CFL West All-Star 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990
Awards Tom Pate Memorial Award (1990)

Richie Hall (born October 4, 1960) is a defensive assistant coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played professionally as a Canadian football defensive back for nine seasons for the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders where he was a CFL All-Star in 1983 and a four-time divisional All-Star. He is a five-time Grey Cup champion, once as a player and four times as a defensive coordinator. He was formerly the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos from 2009 to 2010.

Contents

Early years

Hall was born October 4, 1960, in San Antonio, Texas. He was in a car accident as a child that catapulted him through the windshield of the car and nearly killed him, leaving him with permanent scars above his right eye.

He was a star two-way American football player in high school despite his height of just 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m). [1]

College career

Hall was a walk on college football player at Colorado State University, where he majored in social work. [1] He played for the Rams from 1980 to 1982. [2]

Professional career

Calgary Stampeders

Hall originally signed with the Calgary Stampeders in May 1983 and, in his rookie season, was a CFL All-Star defensive back, playing in 16 games recording four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. [3] He also returned 50 punts on special teams for 561 yards including one touchdown and one kickoff return for 12 yards. He earned West Division All-Star honours in the 1986 CFL season for his defensive work recording four sacks, eight interceptions for 116 yards, and one fumble recovery for 50 yards. He also returned 16 punts that year for 260 yards. [4] [5]

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Hall was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in May 1988 for a fourth-round pick in the 1989 CFL Draft and returned as a 1988 CFL season and 1990 CFL season West Division All-Star. [4] [5] He won his first Grey Cup championship in 1989. [4]

In all, he appeared in 153 career regular-season games between 1983 and 1991 playing both defensive back and punt returner, was a four-time West Division all-star, a League All-Star in 1983, and was selected for the Tom Pate Memorial Award in 1990. [6] [7]

After being released by the Roughriders, Hall used his social work degree and got a job at Regina's Cornwall Alternative School for high-risk kids and joined Regina's Archbishop M.C. O'Neill High School football coaching staff in 1993 before embarking on his professional coaching career. [1] [8]

Coaching career

Saskatchewan Roughriders

In 1994, Hall was hired by the Saskatchewan Roughriders to coach their defensive backfield and worked his way up to defensive coordinator by 2000. He gained a reputation as one of the top minds for defensive schemes in the CFL and served as Saskatchewan's defensive coordinator for eight years including the 95th Grey Cup victory for Saskatchewan in 2007. [1] His 2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders defence finished the season with the best in fewest yards allowed (354 per game), second in pass defence (266 yards per game) and fewest passing TDs allowed (28) and third in fewest TDs (44) and points allowed (25.1 per game). [7]

Edmonton Eskimos

Hall interviewed for at least seven head coaching positions beginning after the 2004 CFL season and, on December 17, 2008, Hall was hired as the head coach for the Edmonton Eskimos, the first black head coach in the Edmonton Eskimos history. When looking for a new coach, Eskimos General Manager Danny Maciocia said he asked his quarterbacks to name the toughest defensive co-ordinator they've played against and was given the unanimous response of Richie Hall. [7] [9] [10]

Hall has said that he wants his players to enjoy the game, work hard, appreciate everything, and take nothing for granted. "I want our players to have a selfless attitude. I want them to be there for each other," Hall said. "I like to think football is a way for them to live their lives." [1]

Richie Hall at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2019 Grey Cup parade. Richie Hall Grey Cup Parade.jpg
Richie Hall at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2019 Grey Cup parade.

During his first training camp as head coach, arguably the most competitive battle was between Tumbo Abanikanda and Mark Restelli for the starting weakside linebacker spot. [11] [12] Hall stated that he hoped the battle would end when,"one player outperforms the other player". [13] Eventually, Abanikanda was released with Restelli winning the job. [14]

On November 12, 2010, Hall was fired as the Eskimos head coach after two seasons coaching the team.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (II)

On February 1, 2011, it was announced that Hall had rejoined the Roughriders as their defensive coordinator. [15] He won his third Grey Cup following the team's victory in the 101st Grey Cup in 2013.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Hall was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on January 20, 2015. [16] After missing the playoffs in 2015, the Blue Bombers made the playoffs for each season that Hall served as defensive coordinator, and played in for consecutive Grey Cups, including two championship victories in 2019 and 2021. On January 8, 2024, it was announced that Jordan Younger had been promoted to defensive coordinator, but that Hall would remain on the defensive coaching staff. [17]

CFL coaching record

TeamYearRegular SeasonPost Season
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostResult
EDM 2009 990.5003rd in West Division01Lost West Semi-Final
EDM 2010 7110.3884th in West DivisionMissed Playoffs
Total16200.4440 West Division
Championships
010 Grey Cups

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatchewan Roughriders</span> Football team based in Regina, Canada

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerry Joseph</span> American gridiron football player and coach (born 1973)

Kerry Tremaine Joseph is an American former gridiron football quarterback and current coach. He is the quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in New Iberia, Louisiana.

The 2004 CFL season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.

The 1993 CFL season is considered to be the 40th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 36th Canadian Football League season.

The 1990 CFL season is considered to be the 37th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 33rd Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Maas</span> American football player

Jason Maas is the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and a former Canadian football quarterback in the CFL. He is best known for his playing career with the Edmonton Eskimos where he won two Grey Cup championships. He also played for the Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He has coached the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, and Saskatchewan Roughriders and was the head coach of the Eskimos from 2016 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khari Jones</span> American gridiron football player and coach (born 1971)

Khari Okang Jones is a former professional Canadian football player and was most recently the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was formerly the head coach for the Montreal Alouettes. He is also a former television sports reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Jones played quarterback in the CFL, where he enjoyed his most success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Jones also played briefly for the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds and the World League of American Football's Scottish Claymores. He has also been the offensive coordinator for the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Daley</span>

Jim Daley is a Canadian football coach, who currently serves as the Special Teams Coordinator and assistant head coach for the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. Daley is a longtime coach who served in the Canadian Football League from 1990 to 2014.

Dave Ritchie is a former gridiron football coach in college football, the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Italian Football League (IFL), and Switzerland Nationalliga A. He is best known for his time as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach from 1999 to 2004. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion, having won in 1990, 1994, and 2006 and was named the CFL's Coach of the Year in 2001. He won 108 regular season games as a head coach in the CFL which is the seventh highest win total by a head coach in the league's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Austin</span> American gridiron football player and coach (born 1963)

Richard Kent Austin is an American gridiron football coach and former player, who is currently Quarterback Coach under head coach Hugh Freeze at Auburn. Austin served as the head football coach at Cornell University from 2010 to 2012. He was the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2007 and CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2013 to 2017 and the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia from 2019 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Mace</span> Canadian gridiron football player and coach (born 1985)

Corey Mace is the head coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional gridiron football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Shologan</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1985)

Keith Shologan is former a defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at UCF. Shologan has also been a member of the San Diego Chargers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Ottawa Redblacks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it is the 53rd Canadian Football League season. Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton hosted the 98th Grey Cup on November 28 when the Montreal Alouettes became the first team to repeat as Grey Cup Champions in 13 years, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 21–18. The league announced on its Twitter page on January 29, 2010 that the season would start on July 1, 2010. As of 2021 this is the most recent CFL regular season to start in July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Miller (Canadian football)</span> Professional Canadian football fullback

Mike Miller is the special teams coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional Canadian football linebacker and fullback who played for 11 years. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion, having won with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015 and with the Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021. He is the all-time leader in career special teams tackles and holds the record for most special teams tackles in one game with seven.

The 2012 CFL season was the 59th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 55th season for the Canadian Football League. The pre-season began on June 13, 2012, and the regular season started on June 29, 2012. Rogers Centre in Toronto hosted the 100th Grey Cup on November 25, with the hometown Toronto Argonauts defeating the Calgary Stampeders 35-22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Dickenson</span> Canadian gridiron football player and coach (born 1971)

Craig Dickenson is a professional football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has coached professional football since 2000 and won a Grey Cup championship with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders in 2008 and with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Jefferson</span> American gridiron football player (born 1991)

Willie Hebert Jefferson III is an American professional football defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Jefferson is a three-time Grey Cup champion, winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015 and twice more with the Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019 with the Bombers, and is a five-time CFL All-Star and six-time CFL West All-Star. He has also been a member of the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Jefferson played college football for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and the Baylor Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Jones (football coach)</span> American gridiron football coach, born 1967

Chris Jones is the head coach and general manager of the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was previously the head coach and general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders for three seasons, after serving as the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos for two seasons. Jones previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts before becoming a head coach. Jones won four Grey Cup rings with four teams between 2002 and 2015.

The 2017 CFL season was the 64th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 60th season of the Canadian Football League. The regular season began on June 22 and concluded on November 4. The playoffs commenced on November 12 and concluded on November 26 with the Toronto Argonauts defeating the Calgary Stampeders to win the 105th Grey Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cory McDiarmid</span> Canadian gridiron football coach

Cory McDiarmid is a Canadian gridiron football coach who is currently the special teams coach for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He previously coached in the CFL with several teams and is a two-time Grey Cup winner with the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He has also coached for the Panthers Wrocław in the European League of Football.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Maki, Allan (June 14, 2009). "Hall finds faith rewarded in Edmonton". Globe and Mail. Canada. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  2. "Richie Hall". cougarstats.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  3. Canadian Football League 2007 Facts, Figures & Records. Canadian Football League. p. 219. ISBN   978-0-9739425-2-1.
  4. 1 2 3 "Richie Hall". CFLapedia. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Canadian Football League 2007 Facts, Figures & Records. Canadian Football League. p. 224. ISBN   978-0-9739425-2-1.
  6. "Richie Hall: Head Coach". Football Operations. Edmonton Eskimos Football Club. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 Canadian Press (December 17, 2008). "Eskimos name Hall as new head coach". TSN.ca. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  8. "Coaching & Football Staff". Saskatchewan Roughriders 2007 Fact Book. Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club. 2007. p. 12.
  9. "Report: Maciocia to lead Eskimos". TSN.ca. December 4, 2004. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
  10. Vanstone, Rob (November 27, 2008). "Richie Hall the perfect candidate for the Argos". The Leader-Post. Archived from the original on November 5, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  11. Annicchiarico, Mario (June 18, 2009). "Rookie QBs may be keepers". The Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  12. Annicchiarico, Mario (June 17, 2009). "'Tired of beating up on each other'". The Edmonton Journal. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  13. Moddejonge, Gerry (June 21, 2009). "Strong battle on weak side". Edmonton Sun. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  14. MacKinnon, John (June 26, 2009). "Eskimos' front office has depth". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved June 27, 2009.[ dead link ]
  15. "Roughriders name Richie Hall new defensive coordinator". tsn.ca. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011.
  16. "Richie Hall hired as Blue Bombers' defensive coordinator | CBC News".
  17. "Blue Bombers announce coaching staff changes". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. January 8, 2024.

Further reading