Alouettes dismiss head coach on eve of new season

Mike Sherman was head coach for the Green Bay Packers, and Texas A&M

The Montreal Alouettes have "parted ways" with head coach Mike Sherman, the team announced Saturday, less than a week before the start of the new CFL season.

Montreal says offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones will serve as interim head coach, combining both positions.

Sherman spent just one season as head coach of the Alouettes, guiding the team to a 5-13 record in 2018.

Montreal opens its regular season on Friday at Edmonton.

"We would like to thank Mike Sherman for his hard work and dedication with our team," Alouettes GM Kavis Reed said in a statement. "We would have preferred a different turn of events, but we believe that we are making this decision with the best interest of our organization and our team in mind.

"We had identified some key elements from last year where we wanted to see some changes, but unfortunately, these adjustments did not materialize. These decisions are never easy to take, but we believe that this is the right one to make. Our team is in good hands as Khari showed great things in 2018 and has a very solid experience in the CFL."

Jones will be starting his second season with the Alouettes. He worked with the team's quarterbacks last year.

Jones began his coaching career in 2009 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he led the quarterbacks in his first two seasons before being promoted to offensive co-ordinator the following year. He coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders' QBs in 2012 and 2013, winning a Grey Cup in his second year.

The 48-year-old from Indiana spent 11 seasons as a CFL quarterback, playing for the B.C. Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos and Tiger-Cats.

"This is a tremendous honour," Jones said in a statement. "I would have liked this announcement to occur in different circumstances, but I am ready to take on this new challenge. We have a great coaching staff and a group of hard working, talented players. I am looking forward to seeing our players come together as we all work with them with one goal in mind."