Mike Benevides goes from Lions' HC to TSN analyst: could Paul LaPolice do the reverse?

Mike Benevides wasn't out of work long, at least for the short term. TSN has announced that Benevides, who was fired as the B.C. Lions' head coach on Nov. 20, will be appearing as a special guest analyst for the network's Grey Cup preview coverage Saturday and Sunday. Bringing in someone so recently out of coaching could be very interesting, as Benevides will have seen a lot of film on Calgary's and Hamilton's players this year and spent a lot of time coming up with strategies to beat them. He should have some unique insights, as long as he isn't unwilling to criticize for the sake of keeping his future job options open, and if he does well enough on TV, that might even be a more permanent landing spot for him. What's particularly notable is that Benevides will be appearing on the same broadcast as one of the leading candidates to replace him as B.C.'s head coach; former Winnipeg head coach and current TSN analyst Paul LaPolice.

LaPolice is far from the only candidate for the B.C. job, as there's been lots of talk about the likes of hot coordinators such as Calgary OC Dave Dickenson and Hamilton DC Orlondo Steinauer, and there could be plenty of others considered as well. However, unlike Dickenson and Steinauer, LaPolice hasn't been downplaying his interest publicly. In fact, Lowell Ullrich of The Province reported this past week that it sounds like the TSN analyst wants to consider the possibility if he can get enough autonomy:

So, while that's far from a clear indication he'll take the B.C. job, LaPolice at least seems more motivated to go after it than the likes of Dickenson or Steinauer. He's still interested in coaching, too; while he enjoys the TSN work, he sought out a chance to be a guest coach with the Argos this past offseason. He would seemingly check off some of the boxes the Lions appear to want as well; B.C. seems to be looking for an offensive-minded coach, and LaPolice has found significant success on that side of the ball, working as a receivers coach in Toronto, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Saskatchewan, an offensive coordinator in Saskatchewan and a head coach in Winnipeg. His firing from the Bombers in August 2012 wasn't really an indictment of him, either, as the team reached the Grey Cup under LaPolice the previous year, and their struggles in 2012 and 2013 were more about issues with general manager Joe Mack (who was let go in August 2013, along with president Garth Buchko); things only got worse under LaPolice's successor, Tim Burke. Still, there are bound to be other promising candidates considered, and LaPolice himself may decide he doesn't want to work under such an established general manager.

As for Benevides, it seems most likely that his TV stint will be relatively short. Yes, TSN could have openings next year, especially if LaPolice does wind up getting back into coaching, but there will be a lot of teams in the market for at least a defensive coordinator, and Benevides' skills there are top-notch. He's won three Grey Cups as an assistant coach (as the special-teams coordinator/linebackers coach with Calgary in 2001, in that same role with B.C. in 2006 and as the defensive coordinator with B.C. in 2011), and his defence was a top unit again this year, while the Lions' offensive struggles had more to do with injuries and poor coordinator decisions than they did with Benevides (part of why his firing was questionable). If Benevides proves to be a good analyst and wants to stay with TSN, and they want him, great, but the bet here is that he winds up on a sideline again next year. The more difficult one to predict is if LaPolice will be walking a sideline in 2014 as well.