MONTREAL – On February 2nd, the Alouettes announced the coming of Paul Charbonneau as the club’s running back coach in order to solidify the coaching staff for the 2016 season.

The former Winnipeg Blue Bombers assistant offensive line coach didn’t hesitate before accepting Head Coach and General Manager Jim Popp’s offer. “The success of the organization, the opportunity to work with Jim Popp and the fact that Anthony Calvillo is slowly making his mark as a coach, are all reasons that led me to come to Montreal,” declared Charbonneau.

Furthermore, he describes the Alouettes’ coaching staff as excellent. “When I was facing Noel Thorpe’s defence, I had to spend a lot of time preparing the offensive line and the running backs in an attempt to neutralize his unit. It’s good to be on his side now!,” said Charbonneau cheerfully.

“When I was facing Noel Thorpe’s defence, I had to spend a lot of time preparing the offensive line and the running backs in an attempt to neutralize his unit. It’s good to be on his side now!”

When questioned about his preparation for next season, Paul Charbonneau says that everything is going as he wishes. “We have great discussions with Anthony about how he plans to build the offence and on how we can combine our knowledge to prepare well for next season,” responded Charbonneau.

Last week, the players and coaches were in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the teams’ minicamp. It was an opportunity for the players to practice and learn the offensive system. “The players took repetitions and were able to assess the best possible position for them on the roster. Moreover, when they will be at training camp, they will have already learned the playbook, and therefore, will execute the games more intensely,” said the Ottawa native.

Charbonneau is very pleased by Jim Popp’s acquisitions during the offseason. “The team has done a great job in order to add new players to our team, including excellent receivers. This will motivate other players in the team to perform better,” confirmed Charbonneau.

“The team has done a great job in order to add new players to our team, including excellent receivers. This will motivate other players in the team to perform better,”

Charbonneau’s job consists of spending time with the offensive line coach to make sure the players are are properly protecting the quarterback and opening gaps for the running backs during offensive plays. “I also have to study previous games in order to evaluate how the running backs behaved during those games. Finally, I have to evaluate the defense of other teams to prepare strategies for the next game.”

Besides Tyrell Sutton, the CFL’s leading rusher in 2015, Charbonneau is eager to watch the other running backs on the field. “I look forward to seeing Brandon Rutley, who did great things last year. We also have Stefan Logan, an excellent kick returner who will also be a big help on offence. Finally, I can’t wait to see Jewel Hampton on the field to see what kind of performance he can give us,” concluded Charbonneau.