After five seasons at the helm — which included two league championships and a pair of runner-up finishes — Langley Rams head coach Jeff Alamolhoda has stepped down.
“I didn’t agree with the direction the organization was heading and I felt that would be too much on my family and myself if they continued to go in this direction,” he told The Times.
“This is why I stepped away.”
Alamolhoda informed the Rams of his decision last September.
The original plan was for him to remain involved with the organization as a member of the board of directors.
And while Alamolhoda is well versed in the football side of things, he doesn’t have a background in the business side of the sport, and that caused some tension, said Rams president Dana Matheson.
In Alamolhoda’s five years with Langley, the Rams went 32-17-1 in B.C. Junior Football Conference play and won the Cullen Cup as league champion in both 2012 and 2014.
This past season was the first time Langley did not advance to the title game under Alamolhoda’s guidance.
“It just didn’t seem like the investment was there from the top down,” Alamolhoda said.
“I wish the Rams nothing but the best and hope the organization can get structured and organized again with the man they have on board.
“I wish them luck and hope for nothing but the best for these young guys.”
Replacing Alamolhoda will be Khari Joseph, who has been with the team since 2012. Joseph is a former teammate of Alamolhoda from their university days at Manitoba.
“It is nice to promote someone from within, to have that stability,” Matheson said.
“We had identified a few people within that staff that could have stepped up to head coach.
“We wanted to go with the known, not the unknown.”
“To be able to continue to strive for that national championship that we have come so close to getting but haven’t achieved is very important,” Joseph said.
“I am a competitor and I want to build up this program and take it where it needs to go.”
Joseph said being familiar with both the existing roster and the coaching staff makes his job easier. He will also be the defensive co-ordinator.
“I think the biggest challenge will be wearing the head coach’s hat now. I have to be more aware of everything else that is going on with the team, not just the defence,” he said.
“It is not a one-man show, I have to lean on everybody.”