Photo: Reuben Polansky/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
When the Montreal Alouettes revealed offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo would take over play-calling duties from head coach Jason Maas for 2026, it seemed like a big change. However, Maas revealed the torch was passed last year.
“When I first got hired, I told (general manager Danny Maciocia) at some point, I would relinquish the play-calling at a time and place that I felt comfortable. Obviously working with A.C. and the staff over the last three years has been seamless and awesome and been a great experience. I knew we were going to be in great hands when that time came,” Maas told reporters via videoconference.
“Midway through the year last year, I talked to Danny, and felt like it was time to go in a new direction. A.C. had proven himself to me and done such a good job with handling the offence — the installs, the putting together. The collaboration with the whole staff has been amazing, so relinquishing the play-calling at the end was the easy part for me. From there, I’m still involved with it, felt comfortable with it, and to me, obviously, culminated with a Grey Cup appearance, so obviously I felt like it went pretty well.”
It’s unclear when exactly the Alouettes made the change last season, though it seems fair to speculate it may have happened near the middle of the season. With franchise quarterback Davis Alexander out with a hamstring injury, Montreal scored a measly 13.6 points over a five-game losing skid that ran from August to the start of September. The offence kicked into gear in Week 15, however, when McLeod Bethel-Thompson lit up the eventual Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders in a 48-31 victory.
The win kicked off a five-game winning streak for the Alouettes, which helped power the team to a Grey Cup appearance at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. The team scored 35.2 points per game over the five outings, almost triple their average from the previous five losses.
The change will allow Maas more time to focus on other duties that belong to the head coach.
“As a play-caller, you’re so involved in the game. The whole week, as it’s going, you’re putting the plan together. It’s hard because as a head coach, you’re thinking about everything, but you still have to really think about your play-calling and how you’re going to go about it. In the course of a game, every series, you’re constantly analyzing the game and thinking about every single play-call you make on top of trying to manage the game, so that won’t change,” said Maas.
“I’ll think of every call that’s going and have a different conversation going with A.C. and the rest of the staff as they’re calling it, but it’ll be completely hands off. I’ll be intrigued as the calls are being made. I’ll have pretty good insight of why they’re being called and which ones are coming. A.C. does do a great job of involving people and talking through the series. He’s great at focusing in when it’s time to call it, but in-between series, it’s nice to be able to talk and discuss things, and that won’t change, so that’s good.”
Calvillo is as qualified as anyone to call plays in the CFL. The 53-year-old played 20 seasons at quarterback, throwing for 79,816 yards, 455 touchdowns, and 224 interceptions over 329 career regular-season games, earning three Most Outstanding Player awards and winning four Grey Cups. He remains the CFL’s all-time leader in several key passing categories and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
With Calvillo in the booth, Maas considers himself and receivers coach Mike Lionello to be his eyes on the sideline. He also receives input throughout the game from Alexander.
“We’re his eyes down there, and Davis stands next to me after every series and talks to me, so we can easily translate between him and A.C., plus there’s a phone on the sideline. I think it’s pretty calm and easy up there. There’s not as much going on, weather-wise as well — cold, wind, rain, it’s easy to keep your notes about you — and (running backs and tight ends coach) Dave Jackson’s right next to him up there, feeding him all the information he needs to as well, so I think it’s worked out quite well with him,” said Maas.
“(Calvillo) was a little concerned when I put him up there but … he sees the game extremely well, and it’s pretty easy to see up there. We give him a different perspective on the sidelines, but I think it’s better for him to be up there. Now, if he can convince me that it’s better for him calling it and he has a better feel for it on the sidelines, that’ll be up for discussion.”
