On the 32 Thoughts Podcast which was released this morning (starts at 17:21) Jeff Marek asked Elliotte Friedman for an update on the coaching situation. Here is what Friedman had to say:
“He’s going into Winnipeg next week. That’s going to be a huge meeting. You know if I was the Jets I would kidnap him.”
Marek then interjected about how businesses around Manitoba are stepping up to provide Barry Trotz with free goods and services if he accepts the head coaching job in Winnipeg.
Friedman continued:
“Or what I would do is I would say to Barry Trotz. He can get into a room and then I would bring in Chris Walby. And I would bring in Doug Brown. And I would bring in all the biggest and baddest current and former Winnipeg Blue Bombers or the biggest people in Winnipeg and say ‘Barry you want to get out of here without a signed contract you have to go through them’.”
Marek mentions how the entire province of Manitoba is focused on #Trotzwatch. Friedman adds:
“There’s no question that that’s the case. And the other thing to is you take a look at kinda who you considered your main competition right? You’ve seen Vegas go somewhere else. You’ve seen Trotz say no to Philly…..so all of a sudden you know Trotz is still out there. I don’t think it’s Dallas, I think that ship has sailed. I don’t think it’s gonna be Boston, I think they’re going to go somewhere a little newer and a little different. I still think Detroit’s been around it but there are still some people who think it’s going to be Halpern or Lalonde from Tampa Bay but until Steve Yzerman closes the book you don’t close the book. And I don’t think it’s going to be Florida. I really don’t….”
He went on to say that he didn’t think Trotz would do that given his relationship with Andrew Brunette.
“….but anyway getting back to Winnipeg. So all of a sudden you’re looking at this and you’re playing process of elimination. You’re thinking ‘Ok, it’s us, maybe Detroit, maybe he takes the year off or maybe he goes into Nashville’s front office. But if he wants to coach it’s looking much more optimistic this week then last week for the Jets. I don’t care what smoke signals the Jets are sending out. I think Barry Trotz knows if he wants to coach in Winnipeg he’s going to have a comfortable situation. That they’re going to say ‘Barry what do you need and we’ll make it work’.”
And so the wait continues.
