Montreal – 2016 looks to be even more exciting year for Jason Hogan than 2015 was, and last year will be hard to top! Over-and-above being the head coach for the École secondaire Curé-Antoine-Labelle Loups last year, the young Montrealer was responsible for minor football relations for the Alouettes where he helped organize the Anthony Calvillo Leadership Academy for Quarterbacks as well as the Old Dutch Alouettes Coaching Clinic.
During the course of all these activities, the Alouettes got to know Jason quite well, to the point where Anthony Calvillo absolutely wanted to have Jason become a part of his coaching staff. Montrealalouettes.com got together with the 29 year old to learn more about his career and his responsibilities with the Alouettes.
How did it come about that you went from being the head coach of the Loups to the offensive quality control coach of the Alouettes?
“It was a gradual process. As a result of the amateur football activities that I was a part of, I got to meet certain Alouettes coaches like André Bolduc and Anthony Calvillo. I already knew André, as he recruited me in university and we were on opposing sides when he was on the Collège Montmorency coaching staff. I think that as a result of the conversations we had about football, they understood that my goal was to progress within football and coaching. They gave me an opportunity – – and I grabbed it!”
Photo Credit: Johany Jutras
The turning point for you came with your involvement as a guest coach at training camp.
“They gave me an opportunity – –
and I grabbed it!”
“After training camp concluded, I thought they appreciated my work and my progress because they asked me if I was interested in staying on. However, I had a training camp for the Loups that was beginning in August. When my season ended with the Loups, I received a call from Jim Popp and Anthony Calvillo.”
For many people, the responsibilities of an offensive quality control coach are somewhat nebulous. Jason explained some specifics concerning his role:
“The hours are long! I have to be the first one in the office, and the last one out, because I want to prove myself. During the course of the off-season, we have to get the playbook organized. That means examining what we did last year with the offensive coordinator and his assistants, making sure that there are no plays that we are repeating, and that the terminology is easy to understand. If some things didn’t work so well last year, then we’re trying to make them easier to understand so that the players can execute the plays without having to ask a lot of questions when it comes to the game.”
“I have to be the first one in the office, and the last one out, because I want to prove myself.”
How about during the season?
“Each week, my role is to study the opposing defenses so that we can re-create their formations during our practices. The goal is to replicate as accurately as possible opposing defences to our offence. That means I have to watch film and analyze defensive strategies of opposing teams and spot any patterns that might develop. I also have to make sure that our offensive unit doesn’t give any indication of what our plays are going to be. I’m already looking forward to June 30!”
