On January 3, the Alouettes announced who would be their coordinators for the upcoming season. One of the new faces (or familiar face in this case) we’ll be seeing bearing the Montreal logo this year is Kahlil Carter. After spending three productive years in Calgary as the Stamps DB Coach, Carter returns to Montreal, where he played for the Grey Cup in 2008, to lead the team’s defensive troops alongside his mentor Rich Stubler.
*Interesting fact: The Stubler-Carter duo has never fallen short of a Division Final…
That said, check out what our DC had to say about his new challenge.
1-You had a short stint here in Montreal in 2008, you even participated in a Grey Cup game then. How does it feel to know that you’ll be back here?
It feels amazing. Especially as a French speaking American! I love the city, love the Quebec culture and Quebecois people. Je parle français! (I speak French!) My time with the team was a good one. The guys on that team were some of the best players of their era. My last game in the CFL was the Grey Cup in Montreal and I feel like I can get back and get that accomplished.
2-So, you speak a little bit of French. Where do you get it from?
Je me suis spécialisé en français à l’université (I have a minor in French). I was also in the French Club and took three years of French classes in High School. My mother and brother also speak it. Still, to this day, my brother and I use it as a secret language and other people don’t think it’s fair. I’d say that I’m better at reading and speaking it than understanding it because les gens parlent trop vite pour moi, alors c’est difficile de comprendre, mais j’essaie toujours (people speak so fast that it’s hard for me to undersand, but I always try).
3-Knowing that the team is trying to turn things around, in what state of mind are you approaching this new challenge?
My motto is respect the game and trust the process. I know the organization is hiring guys to help change the culture and improve the brand, especially for our fan base. I, myself, am coming in to win football games. My job is to be the defensive Coach. I like a fast, organized and disciplined unit that goes out there and out-executes its opponents. I have a system that I call FIFO (Fit In or Find your way Out). I want everyone in my group to fit in, buy in, be accountable, do the little things and make all the necessary sacrifices. When you have that commitment and that buy-in, it becomes easier to change the culture and affect gameplay.
4-What are your expectations towards Coach Sherman?
He’s a man that knows how to win. He’s a man who knows how to install and sustain a culture of excellence. In my interview, I was impressed by his understanding of what it takes to win. When he talked to me, he embraced my knowledge of what it takes to win and that’s how we connected. I think Coach Sherman is the man with the vision on how to change last year’s culture into a full-course meal of wins.
5-You’re going from DB Coach to Defensive Coordinator. What does that mean to you in terms of responsibilities?
I was the de facto pass-game coordinator in Calgary. I was always coordinating what we ran in the secondary so, with the CFL being a passing league, I was already doing a lot of work preparing the defence every week to go up against the best offensive minds of the CFL.
The big change is that I’m overseeing the entire package now, but I paid attention over the last three years. I’ve been involved in blitz game, I’ve helped with how we fit the run from a DB perspective and, I, as a player, was Stubler’s sixth man, his utility guy. I’ve played in the box, played outside, so I understand how things are done. I think that all my experiences as well as the success that I had in the last two seasons in Calgary have prepared me to be a DC in the CFL.
6-We expect many more changes to happen in the next few months, particularly with the roster, how will you compose with what might be a fair number of newcomers mixed to a few seasoned vets?
I think it’s simply a matter of evaluating the players based on the things that you want to see in your defence. You want ball-hawking guys, guys with great vision and, moreover, substantial IQs. If they play the game straight ahead like they’re in a closet, then they probably don’t fit the system that we’re trying to install. We also want guys to have a sense of community in football. Guys who do their job, but also realize that they’re playing next to their brother. You have to find the right kind of guys who fit your system.
7-What type of climate are you looking to establish within your group?
I want guys who like to play with each other. It’s not always going to happen, but, for example, when I left Toronto to come to Montreal, the Alouettes had been my rivals for three years. I used to go against Chip Cox and I hated him, but as soon as I got to Montreal, he, Mark Estelle, Davis Sanchez, Matthieu Proulx, John Bowman, Étienne Boulay, etc. took me in and made me feel like I was part of the group. Fitting in is the most important part; buying in, being unselfish by waiting for your opportunity to play and showcasing your talent when it matters the most.
8-Ensuring that players compete to their full potential is always priority, especially considering how the last few seasons unfolded. How do you plan on doing that?
Players don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. In order to make a player better, you have to spend time with him, know what his weaknesses are and continuously point out their strengths to build them up. When you put in that time with them, show up after hours, answer their questions, treat them like men but also like students, that’s when the players buy-in. The best teachers are the ones who are able to format their curriculum to their students’ aptitudes, so you have to find the best way to coach your guys based on what you know about them. I have grass on my cleats, I understand what these guys are going through.
Some teams go out and sign the best players every year. They spend a lot of money and do all kinds of movements throughout the year, but my vision is that once we select our guys at training camp, we want them to be the guys who we win with. As a coach, you have to do your due diligence to prepare your guys to be able to get the right 12. Stubler said it best: “You always want the best 12, not the 12 best.” The best 12 to play together will win football games.
9-What will be your main focus going into the 2018 season?
Personnel. Getting us younger and faster. I want guys who respect the game and trust the process. I want guys to understand that if we sign them it’s because we believe in their abilities. And I want everyone to have that we-will mentality. Getting the right players who want to live that experience is number 1. I think fans will start understanding when we enter free agency and that they see what type of players we’re signing and going after.
Number two is then teaching them how to win.
