Scott Milanovich doesn’t regret personal absence after Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ loss to Toronto

Photo: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography / 3DownNation. All rights reserved.

Scott Milanovich put his family first in Week 12, and he doesn’t regret it in light of Hamilton’s 39-20 loss to Toronto on Saturday night.

The Tiger-Cats’ head coach missed all four practices prior to the game, with special teams coordinator Bob Dyce stepping in to manage day-to-day operations. The organization described the absence as a “personal matter,” declining to provide further details out of respect for his privacy.

Milanovich wasn’t any more forthcoming post-game, though he indicated that the decision wasn’t made lightly.

“I hated leaving the family I’ve got in that room. I have a lot of responsibilities, not just as a father, but also as the head coach of an organization,” he told reporters. “It is what it is. You make tough decisions, and to be honest with you, this one wasn’t that tough.”

Last season, Milanovich became an ambassador for the Tiger-Cats’ partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Headversity. In an interview with TSN at the time, he revealed that one of his daughters was battling anorexia and had received treatment at eight different in-person facilities across the United States. It is unclear whether his departure from the team was related to that situation.

The 53-year-old bench boss remained actively involved in game-planning during his absence this week, with Dyce stating that he was in constant communication with the staff. Milanovich was always expected to return for the game and was back in his usual spot for kickoff at BMO Field.

Hamilton’s offence generated 401 net yards despite a torrential downpour and thunderstorms that delayed kickoff by an hour in Toronto, but struggled to generate points. The unit was also consistently hamstrung by pre-snap penalties and mental mistakes.

Asked whether his absence may have contributed to those struggles, Milanovich couldn’t rule it out.

“I don’t know. I mean, I hope not, but obviously, when you’re in a situation like I was in this week, it was a tough week,” he said.

“I’ve got to find out the answer. Obviously, our communication wasn’t what it needs to be. I can’t imagine that the weather had any factor in it. It was coming down pretty hard, but the communication still wasn’t as good as needed to be in the third quarter when it wasn’t raining. We’ve obviously got to get to the bottom of it.”

Of the Tiger-Cats’ nine penalties on the night, six came as a result of unforced errors on offence. The unit was flagged four times for illegal procedure, once for offsides, and once for a time count violation.

Quarterback Tre Ford refused to let his head coach and playcaller take the blame for those mistakes, pointing at himself instead.

“I think a big part of it was my fault,” he said post-game. “The quarterback is the one who has to communicate everything, get the plays called in the time given, and go out there and execute. All those were on me.”

Ford, who was given the start with Harrison Frost still limited by a back injury, completed 19-of-32 passes for 356 yards and rushed four times for 33 yards. He didn’t throw any interceptions, but was sacked four times and stripped once in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Argonauts to make it a two-score game.

“Yeah, it was a tough night,” Milanovich said of his quarterback. “Early in the game, with the weather, it was difficult. I thought he did some good things. Certainly that’s what Tre needs to get better at is consistency in the passing game. He’s still a young player that’s got a lot of football left in front of him, and we’ll keep working on it. He’s improving.”

Ford accepted no excuses for the defeat, least of all Milanovich’s absence. He noted that the Ticats are well-versed at handling adversity this season and hold themselves to a high standard. This was no exception.

“I think regardless of the situation, things are going to happen. You’ve still got to go and execute. It doesn’t matter,” he insisted. “Looking at our team, was it ideal that Bo (Levi Mitchell) got hurt? No, but us in the quarterback room have to step up and try to be better for our team. I think we need our whole team to step up better as well.”

The Tiger-Cats (4-7) return to action on Saturday, August 29, when they visit the Calgary Stampeders (4-6). Kickoff from McMahon Stadium is slated for 3:00 p.m. EDT.

J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.