After an 0-4 start to their Canadian Football League season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have fired special teams coordinator Paul Boudreau.
The team has replaced him with Dennis McKnight, who was Hamilton’s special teams coordinator in 2017 before moving to offensive line coach in 2018 and 2019.
“We thank Paul for his contributions and wish him all the best in the future,” said Ticats head coach and offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich.
Boudreau’s tenure with the Ticats lasted only two preseason games and four games in the regular season, all losses for Hamilton.
The last straw for Boudreau’s tenure in Hamilton may have been one of the last plays of Sunday’s 24-22 loss in Ottawa.
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Leading 22-21 with 28-seconds to play the Ticats went for a squib kick and Ottawa returned the ball to near midfield, and three plays later kicker Lewis Ward booted the game-winning field goal.
McKnight, 64, was the offensive line coach with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023 and has more than 20 years of coaching experience in the CFL, XFL and NCAA.
In 2024, the Tiger-Cats’ special teams unit ranks fourth in punt return average yards, eighth in average punt return yards allowed, sixth in kickoff return average and seventh in kickoff return yards allowed.
Hamilton is also tied for last in the league for have zero big play returns, defined by 30-plus yards on a punt return and 40-plus yards on a kickoff return.
Boudreau replaced Jeff Reinebold, who left to join the coaching staff at the University of Hawaii.
He spent the last seven seasons as special teams coordinator with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers where he won two Grey Cups.
Hamilton hosts the 3-and-1 BC Lions this coming Sunday at Tim Hortons Field.
You can listen to the game on CHML radio starting with the Pregame Show at 6 p.m. ET. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and fans can catch The 5th Quarter postgame show 30 minutes after the final whistle.
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