Courtesy Vancouver Province

When Eric Tillman made the hire, he knew Kent Austin had the requisite football intelligence to be a successful head coach and, despite his complicated history with the flatland faithful, he also had the vital first-hand experience with the green-and-white fishbowl.

But what Tillman didn’t know, and what no one could have possibly known, was whether or not Austin had that X-factor which distinguishes average coaches from good coaches and good coaches from great coaches. It’s hard to identify. It’s even harder to define.

But like pornography, you know it when you see it and Tillman, the Roughriders’ general manager, got an eyeful the first time his rookie head coach addressed the team at training camp.

“That was the defining moment,” said Tillman as the Riders prepared for today’s Grey Cup showdown with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. “He said, ‘I have zero interest in being competitive. I don’t want to ever hear that. You play the game to become a champion. If anyone here isn’t committed to being a champion you need to get up and walk out of here right now.’

“From the opening night, the tone was set for our goals on and off the field.”

But other coaches have said the same things. What was different about Austin’s message?

“A lot of times coaches say that and you’re, ‘Whatever, blah, blah, blah.’ ” said offensive lineman Mike Abou-Mechrek. “But it wasn’t what he said. It was how he said it and he was right. That’s why we’re here. He’s got ‘it.’ ”

And whatever that “it” is, the Riders, along with their province, believe in their coach the way a five-year-old believes in Santa Claus.

Austin, who was as popular in Saskatchewan as wheat blight when he left the team in ‘94, has returned to Regina and, in one short season, become the team’s guiding light, its moral conscience and, most of all, the man who’s brought this year to next-year country.

Today the Riders are poised to win their first Grey Cup in 18 years, and their third in their 84-year history. And this is a great thing.

But Austin’s presence also transcends that very notable achievement because, not only is he the one who came back to Saskatchewan where so many have left for good, he’s the one who’s provided everything the Riders have been missing over the years.

There is, for starters, the matter of Austin’s work with Kerry Joseph, who blossomed into a polished, productive quarterback and the CFL’s most outstanding player in one year under Austin.

“Any individual success Kerry has had is a credit to Kerry and his teammates,” says Austin. “I’m the least of the reasons for Kerry’s success.”

Which is another reason they love him in Saskatchewan. Austin is modest but he also has that jut-jawed, clear-eyed intensity which plays well in the Prairies.

“(When Austin is talking) you’re not thinking about how many wings you’re going to eat at lunch,” said Abou-Mechrek. “You’re thinking about the now and how am I going to get better. I’ve been through a lot of coaches and he’s by far the best.”

Finally, and most importantly, this team has exhibited a certain character under his watch which wasn’t always the case during the Roy Shivers-Danny Barrett era. There are just 12 players left from the ‘04 Western Division finalists and, while cap considerations forced the Riders’ hand in some cases, the organization was also happy to let a number of players walk.

“There’s no question we had to make some changes,” said Tillman.

Tillman and Austin first came into contact in the late ’80s when Austin was playing at Ole Miss and Tillman was running the Senior Bowl. In ‘94, when he was the Lions’ GM, Tillman traded for Austin who was in the middle of a very public, very ugly contract beef with the Riders. Both men said they considered that history prior to Austin’s return but the coach, who led the team to the storied ‘89 Grey Cup win, also said his ‘99 induction into the team’s Plaza of Honour had healed some of the wounds.

Time and winning took care of the rest.

“It was an opportunity to come back to a place I loved,” says Austin. “And I knew it would be very, very special if we were able to win a championship. That, even with all the challenges and the history and all that stuff I don’t think matters anyway, was too enticing to pass up.

“I’m back and I’m a Saskatchewan Roughrider.”

And the Riders have found their leader.

“The team follows the personality of their head coach,” said Tillman. “You can’t fool the players. This is not City Slickers (the ‘91 comedy about three urbanites who join a cattle drive) where you put on the vest and the hat and play the role. If you’re Billy Crystal, they know it quickly. Kent is the real deal.”

The players aren’t the only ones who know it in Saskatchewan.