Austin says health concerns won't prevent him from continuing on with Ticats

Kent Austin says his health won't impact his ability to continue as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach and vice-president of football operations.

Austin, 52, confirmed Wednesday he went to hospital Tuesday but was released a short time later. Austin told reporters on a conference call he'll be able to keep working with the Ticats.

"Yeah, I had a hang nail that I had to get cut out," Austin said with a chuckle. "It was really really bothering me.

"No concerns at all. There are some things I have to address and they'll get addressed but everything is going to be fine."

No specific details were available but there are reports Austin suffered a suspected allergic reaction. Austin said he's continuing to undergo tests.

"The good news is they ruled out all the major stuff," he said. "Nothing too serious but I've got to go through some other things but I feel good about the diagnosis at this point."

Austin is entering his fourth season with Hamilton, having amassed a 29-25 record. He led the club to consecutive Grey Cup appearances in 2013-14.

Hamilton seemed poised to contend for a third straight Grey Cup appearance last year, posting an 8-3 record before quarterback Zach Collaros's brilliant season ended bitterly in the Ticats' 25-18 home loss in September to the Edmonton Eskimos. Collaros suffered a season-ending tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Collaros was the overwhelming favourite for the CFL's outstanding player award. He was leading the league in passing yards (3,376), touchdowns (25) and passer rating (113.7) with an impressive 70.2 completion percentage at the time of his injury.

Youngsters Jeff Mathews, Jacory Harris and Jeremiah Masoli all started in Collaros’s absence as Hamilton (10-8) finished second in the East. Masoli made his first career post-season start in the East semifinal, leading the Ticats past Toronto 25-22. He then threw for 349 yards in a wild 35-28 loss to Ottawa in the division final.

Austin said while Collaros is continuing with his off-season rehab program, the athletic quarterback won't be ready to play when Hamilton opens its season June 23 visiting the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field.

"Zach has the DNA to follow instructions but also push the envelope as much as he needs to (in order) to be prepared without overdoing it," Austin said. "The prospects for him, going forward are excellent.

"He will not be able to participate in training camp, he'll be going through his normal rehabilitation protocol. So, if you mean is he going to be ready to start the season coming out of training camp, the answer is no."

That means Mathews and Masoli will battle for the starter's job in training camp.

Austin also said Hamilton is close to hiring a new offensive co-ordinator. The position became available last month after Tommy Condell resigned, citing family reasons.

Austin hired Condell shortly after joining the Ticats in 2012. The two had spent three seasons coaching together at Cornell University.

Condell's departure set up a scenario where Austin, who is also the club's quarterbacks coach, might have had to also add offensive play-calling duties to his already busy slate. Austin said the division of duties within the coaching staff will be dependant upon just how quickly the new offensive co-ordinator can get up to speed with the Ticats.

"We're very excited about the potential of the gentleman we're bringing in," he said.