HAMILTON — Jason Maas has become kinder and calmer.
This season, the fiery Montreal Alouettes head coach has been on his best behavior. The sideline rants that were common during Maas’ tenure as head coach of the Edmonton Elks (2016-19) are non-existent this season with the Montreal Alouettes.
The Montreal Canadiens will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup on Sunday at Tim Hortons Field. The Alouettes are back in the CFL championship game for the first time since 2010.
Maas won two Grey Cups with Edmonton as a quarterback (2003, 2005) and one with Toronto as a quarterback coach (2012). But he’ll try to win his first CFL championship on Sunday.
During the Grey Cup coaches’ press conference on Tuesday, Maas stated that he took it upon himself to be more in control and accountable for his sideline behavior. However, GM Danny Maciocia does not want his head coach to be overly reserved.
“I make a joke about it at the office,” Maciocia explained. “We need to keep him as close to that line as possible, that famous line you don’t want to (cross).”
“We want to keep him there because that’s where he shines.” When he’s doing well and has a big happy smile on his face, I always joke, ‘I’ve got to find something that’s going to irritate him just so I can move him closer to that line because that’s where he’s going to die.’
While Maciocia never asked Maas to change his sideline behavior, the two did discuss it.
“I told him, ‘When you feel that way, come into my office, grab a chair and throw it around the office if you have to release some of that stress, passion, tension, call it whatever you want,” Maciocia said in a statement. “But when you look at him, he’s in another place right now.”
Fortunately, Maciocia stated that Maas has not accepted his offer.
Maciocia compares Maas to Dan Campbell, the emotional head coach of the Detroit Lions in the National Football League.
“Jason is similar to Coach Campbell in that way,” Maciocia said. “Anything less could come across phoney, I think.”
Maas’ emotions may be more under control on the sidelines these days, but his passion and drive for excellence haven’t. He slammed the Alouettes with a series of loud F-bombs after practice on Thursday because he wasn’t pleased with their effort.
However, Maciocia attributes his complete turnaround to Maas.
“He’s been able to control (that) and that’s full credit to him,” he said. “But that passion, that fire, that desire, it’s still there and he needs it because that’s what makes him who he is.”
Maciocia hired Maas in December after he was fired as offensive coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. However, Maciocia stated that the two do not have a typical GM-head coach relationship due to their strong bond forged over more than 20 years.
Maciocia was Edmonton’s offensive coordinator or head coach/GM from 2002 to 2008, while Maas was a quarterback from 2000 to 2005.
“I’m just hoping we’re going to be able to sustain it for a long, long time,” he said. “We know this will end at some point, but as I told him, ‘You’re going to end up leaving me.’
“We’re very close, and we have a strong bond.” He knows I’ll always side with him unless I believe he’s going to put us in danger, but I know him well enough to know he’ll never put us in danger.”
The Canadian Press published this report on November 17, 2023.
The Canadian Press’ Dan Ralph
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