MONTREAL – Last Saturday, André Bolduc was gathered in Stoneham with all his extended family to celebrate Christmas, early, due to an upcoming trip. It was in this particular context that he learned that Jason Maas had been preferred to him to lead the Montreal Alouettes.
“People saw my disappointment and it was a bit tricky. It was like, ‘I didn’t get the job, but we’re having a great day anyway…’,” Bolduc told RDS.ca, with his always-appreciated frankness.
“It’s not bitterness, but disappointment, as Quebecers, not to have had the chance to obtain this position. I saw so many other guys who had it on a silver platter and screwed up, ”explained the football man who was convinced he lived up to this mandate.
He felt ready in part because, during his nine years on the Alouettes’ staff, he weathered storms and endured strange decisions under seven head coaches. After participating in the process to inherit the title, he couldn’t imagine staying with an immediate eighth boss.
“I would say 80% of the population would have done the same. I couldn’t sit in my small office and keep doing the same job. Waiting for what? “explained Bolduc who was quickly hired by the Saskatchewan Roughriders as offensive coordinator.
“This challenge will do me good too,” added the 51-year-old coach who had nothing negative to say about Maas.
With his knowledge of the environment, Bolduc could only deduce what happened next when the hiring process dragged on at the Alouettes.
“During the second week, I started to feel that it wouldn’t be me. I had hope, but less than the people around me,” he confessed.
“Jason was head coach for four seasons, I definitely don’t have that. But where else do you start? With nine years including three seasons as assistant head coach, the experience is there. Nothing would have surprised me in this job so much in the off-season as the season. Someone will have to give me the chance one day to acquire this experience”, analyzed Bolduc.
If it didn’t happen in Montreal, his expertise is recognized elsewhere as his new beginning came to light at lightning speed. Contacts were made with Khari Jones in Ottawa and with his other friend Ryan Dinwiddie in Toronto.
“But I was approached by another organization for other reasons. Kelly Jeffrey (Offensive Coordinator) and Craig Dickenson (Head Coach), they love the job I do. Dickenson even analyzed how I behave on the sidelines, they knew a lot about me. The ground attack in Montreal, we have been wreaking havoc for three, four years. It intrigues them to see our way of doing things,” shared Bolduc, who received an offer that was impossible to refuse.
Having been associated with the Alouettes for so long, in addition to being the father of four children, Bolduc had become labeled with this organization. The Riders even wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to use their tempting offer to up the ante with the Als.
Unsurprisingly, Bolduc studied the formation of the Riders before choosing his new organization and he was convinced by the resources at his disposal.
It remains to be seen if the Alouettes will realize his importance after his departure.
“It will go without saying, it will depend on who will replace me. But I tried to train Luc (Brodeur-Jourdain) as best I could. If he stays with the team, there will be continuity. In two years with me, we rubbed shoulders every day so I showed him how I did things. He helped and supported me in several crazy things that I wanted to try. It was always ‘Yes, we’ll get there’. I had often been told no before. He has a good background and he’s an important guy for the organization right now. I hope he will succeed in getting along with Danny,” testified Bolduc.
Brodeur-Jourdain, who oversaw the offensive line in 2022, was shaken by the departure of Bolduc, his ally. He is therefore thinking about his future, especially since his family is made up of young children. Coaching work is so demanding that he sometimes had to sleep at the Olympic Stadium during the season.
As for Bolduc, his twins, the youngest of his four children, will begin CÉGEP. They were therefore closely involved in the process and they take comfort in seeing that their father’s work is recognized elsewhere.
A president with overflowing passion
Of course, Bolduc was caught up in the departure of President Mario Cecchini, who was not retained by the owners.
“I find it sad. For him, for the organization and for the fans too. He came to practices and on the road, he was more than a president, he is a great enthusiast of his team. He gave balloons to the children every day. The equipment guy was telling us he was going to run out of balls. It was more than a job for Mario, he did it out of love for sport and people. We felt supported and I told him. His everyday passion made us grow,” concluded Bolduc.
We don’t want to put words in Bolduc’s mouth, but we assume that the coaches sometimes scratch their heads by witnessing some of the shareholder decisions.