Danny Maciocia signs 5-year contract with the Carabins

Danny Maciocia, hours after winning a Bol D’or championship with André-Grasset Phénix, has agreed to a 5-year contract to become the head coach of the Montreal Carabins.

It is believed the contract will make him the highest paid coach in the Quebec Conference (which would make him number one in the country).

The contract also lets the CFL know that he is not coming back for the next five years.

It will become official tonight to his players and tomorrow to the media & public.

BIO

Danny Maciocia (born May 26, 1967) is the former general manager & director of football operations of the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos .

Coaching career

A professional coaching career began for Maciocia in 1993 when he took a job as an assistant coach with the Canadian junior national football team. In 1995, he moved into the ranks of the CJFL as offensive coordinator of the St. Leonard Cougars, who won the championship of the league in Maciocia’s first year. In 1998, Maciocia entered the CFL as the running backs coach of the Montreal Alouettes. In 2001, he became offensive coordinator in Montreal, then took the same position in Edmonton the following season.

Maciocia was appointed as head coach of the Eskimos after the firing of former coach Tom Higgins following 2004 CFL season. Maciocia became the first Quebec-born head coach in CFL history and the first Canadian head coach of the Eskimos since Annis Stukus in 1951. In 2005, Maciocia guided the Eskimos to a championship victory in the 93rd Grey Cup, the thirteenth in franchise history.

The 2006 season was not successful for Maciocia and the Eskimos. The team missed the play-offs for the first time in 35 years, ending a record streak for consecutive post-season appearances among North American professional sports teams. Rumors abounded of Maciocia being on the hotseat after the 2006 campaign, but during the off-season he was surprisingly given a promotion. In addition to coach, Maciocia became director of football operations. As a result, he has a high degree control over decisions on player personnel. Despite Maciocia taking more control, the Eskimos finished with an even worse record in 2007 and once again missed the play-offs. He resigned as head coach while continuing on as head of football operations following the end of the 2008 CFL season, where the Eskimos managed to make the playoffs with a 10–8 record, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Semi-Final, and lost the East Final against the Montreal Alouettes.[1]

On July 31, 2010, Maciocia was fired by the Eskimos after the first win in a 1-4 start to the 2010 season.

Maciocia was also the head coach of the 2004 edition of the Canadian junior football team for the eighth NFL Global Junior Championship.

Maciocia is married with three daughters. He speaks fluent English, French, and Italian.