Argos GM Clemons: Chamblin’s future to be addressed in off-season

TORONTO – Corey Chamblin remains the Toronto Argonauts head coach, at least for now.

General manager Mike (Pinball) Clemons said Chamblin’s future with the CFL club will be addressed this off-season as the Argos’ braintrust examines all facets of its football operation following a disappointing 2019 season.

Clemons made the announcement Sunday, less than a day after Toronto (4-14) ended its miserable season with a 21-18 road loss to the arch-rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats (15-3).

Chamblin completed his first season as Toronto’s head coach after serving as the Argos’ defensive co-ordinator in 2017 when they won the Grey Cup.

Clemons assumed GM duties Oct. 8 replacing Jim Popp, who was fired in his third season with Toronto.

That means it will be incumbent upon Clemons to lead Toronto to a post-season berth next season, which would be its first since winning the ’17 Grey Cup.

But one of Clemons’ top off-season priorities will be finding a quality quarterback as the Argos head into the off-season with only rookie Michael O’Connor under contract.

Veterans McLeod Bethel-Thompson and James Franklin started the majority of games this season, with third-year pro Dakota Prukop starting Toronto’s regular-season finale against Hamilton.

All three are scheduled to become free agents in February.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2019.