1966 Staff Changes

1966 Staff Changes

8 of the 12 teams decided to make zero changes in this season feeling either they have a good group or that they have not had enough time to show what they got. 

PROVIDENCE GOLD STARS
As for the teams making changes, it was a full reset in Providence after the team fired HC Harry Meadows early last season. They decided to let go of GM Allen Hutchinson, who served in the role for 7 and a half seasons. It was likely a rebound following the drafting of DB Neville Falkner that saved Hutchinson for a couple more seasons. His replacement will be a former Gold Star in WR Peter Brooks. Brooks has been working with the NAAF player committee since his retirement after the 1960 season and has been interested in taking on a GM role. He has a good reputation within the Gold Stars organization so he is certainly a liked choice for the role. There are some concerns about his ability to manage the team and make deals, but only time will tell. 

As for the coaching staff, the Gold Stars considered bringing their Interim Head Coach, Carroll Moss, back, but ultimately decided to take a shot at Rhode Island State Head Coach, Garrett Boone. Boone has had a pair of very successful seasons with the school which makes him an intriguing get for the role. The team did bring back Dean Parrish as the offensive coordinator after he took over for Jack Dorsey midway through last season, and then they brought in Tommie Warner as the Defensive Coordinator who comes over from Haynes University. 

BOSTON INDEPENDENTS
A shocking decision was made in Boston as the team has fired Head Coach Ben McMillan. McMillan had a lot of success with Boston, as he never missed the playoffs in his 6 years, however, aside from the team's 1961 McCallister Cup run, he has been 1-5 in the playoffs. The continued failure in the playoffs has left the team to look for a new coach. They would settle on Victors’ DC Johnathan Fox. Fox was convinced by the Victors to leave his Head Coaching role at Rockefeller University in Chicago to coach at the professional level. After just one year in Indiana, Fox is moving up to one of the most prestigious roles as Boston’s Head Coach. The hope is he can turn the team up a notch much as he did with the Victors last season.  

MONTREAL ROUGE
After a disappointing 5-7 season in Montreal, GM Martin Gagneaux has decided to make a change at the top, letting go of HC Perry Powell. He has promoted DC Jimmy Sargent to be the new Head Coach. Sargent has a lot of experience as a head coach, winning a McCallister Cup and Coach of the Year Award with Long Island, and having a couple of seasons at the helm in Indiana. To replace Sargent in the DC role, the team has hired Head Coach of the Longueuil Larks of the Eastern Canadian Semi-Pro Football League, Louis Batteau.
 
INDIANA VICTORS
With Fox getting hired to Boston, the Victors would have to get a new DC. They would end up bringing in Carroll Moss to fill the role. Moss had worked with current Victors’ OC Malachi Knowles back in Boston, so Knowles made sure to put in the good word to his former co-worker.