Ticats lose faith in Ron Lancaster

Ron Lancaster is no longer the senior director of football operations for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Tiger-Cats confirmed Tuesday that Lancaster was offered a new position within the organization, but he is vacationing and not expected to make a decision for a couple of weeks.

"We felt it was best we go in this direction," Ticats general manager Marcel Desjardins told the Hamilton Spectator, which reported that Lancaster was offered a job in community relations.

"Obviously, in a perfect world, Ron could do what he wants to do. But unfortunately, that's not the case."

Lancaster began last season in the front office, only to be handed the head coaching reins on an interim basis following Greg Marshall's dismissal on July 10.

Lancaster, a two-time CFL coach of the year and the fourth winningest coach in league history, went 4-10 as Hamilton finished 4-14 overall.

Lancaster, 68, has enjoyed a long but bumpy tenure since joining Hamilton as head coach and GM on Nov. 26, 1997.

As head coach, he posted a 51-56-1-3 record and won the 1999 Grey Cup — Hamilton's first CFL title in 13 years — before being asked to step aside for Marshall and focus on GM duties on Dec. 11, 2003.

Lancaster remained GM until replaced by Rob Katz on Aug. 10, 2005.

Lancaster entered the CFL in 1960 with the Ottawa Rough Riders, and spent three seasons as Russ Jackson's backup before being traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Little General played 16 years in Regina, capturing two Schenley Awards as the CFL's most outstanding player (1970, 1976) and earning induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

Lancaster is 142-120-1-3 as a CFL head coach, trailing only Don Matthews, Wally Buono and the late Frank Clair in career wins.