Former Alouettes running back Tyrell Sutton returns as running backs coach

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Tyrell Sutton’s Alouettes career has come full circle.

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After spending six seasons as a running back for some of Montreal’s worst teams in franchise history, the 36-year-old was named an assistant on head coach Jason Maas’ coaching staff on Tuesday. Sutton will coach the running backs, replacing André Bolduc, who left for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

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Sutton, who lives year-round in Montreal and married a former Als employee, will coach full-time for the first time, though she is not in a previous relationship with Maas. When Sutton saw Bolduc’s departure, she let members of the organization know of her interest.

“I wasn’t (Maas’s) first choice and I’m not afraid to say that,” Sutton told the Montreal Gazette. “Having experience with CFL, not having to bring me on board (from the outside), I think that played a role. He’s known about me since my playing days. I know Maas as a head coach (with Edmonton). Everything clicked.”

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While defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Anthony Calvillo, special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Byron Archambault return along with Greg Quick (linebackers) and Mike Lionello (receivers), there are three newly arrived together with with Sutton:

Corvey Irvin (defensive line); Chandler Jones (Thorpe’s assistant defensive backs) and Dave Jackson, who will assist Archambault with special teams. Irvin and Jones are former Als, while Jackson has CFL experience with four teams.

Sutton had a 1,000-yard season (2015) with the Als, during which he was a star for the CFL and their leading rusher, before rounding out his career with seasons at BC, Toronto, and Hamilton. He re-signed with the Als in 2020, but the season was canceled due to COVID-19. Having recently retired, Sutton should be easy to relate to today’s players. He knows that the days will be long and he has already started watching movies from the last season.

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“I just have to learn the details of the (training),” he said. “I did a decent amount (as a player) of understanding what they were trying to do as far as offense and concepts. Now I understand how they did it, why they do it.

“I’m not going to live vicariously through my guys, but I can enjoy the game through a different medium. I’m not too far from the game, so I still understand the nuances and terminology.”

Sutton won’t try to reinvent the wheel, knowing he will inherit one of the CFL’s best tandems in William Stanback and Walter Fletcher. Stanback produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and was the league’s leading rusher in 2021. But a serious knee injury sustained in last year’s opener limited him to five games.

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His injury forced the Als to acquire Fletcher from Edmonton. If Stanback relies on brute force, Fletcher is more of a scatback who can make defenders miss. The two complement each other.

“All I have to do is build a relationship with the guys and let them do their thing,” Sutton said. “It’s not a blow (to Stanback), but when he won the rushing title, he went through the sand and dirt; him being naturally better than everyone. As time goes by, you tend to slow down on some things. The injuries accumulate. You don’t play that well and things happen. If he can get back to the details and slow things down, he can play (up to) another seven years because he’s smart enough not to rely solely on his talent and skill set. You focus on your vision instead of brute force.”

Sutton made a succinct assessment of Fletcher, who produced 486 yards in 14 games averaging 5.7 yards per carry. “The child can play. Now it’s about keeping him on the field and creating that two-headed monster, creating problems for the defense.”

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