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MONTREAL -- Trying to change the "Alouette way" was what got Dan Hawkins fired only five games into his first job as a head coach in the Canadian Football League. With the Montreal Alouettes once-powerful offence sputtering, general manager Jim Popp announced Thursday that Hawkins was gone and that offensive co-ordinator Mike Miller would have a reduced role on the coaching staff. Popp will step in as head coach for the third time in his 18 years with the club, while Hawkins adviser Doug Berry will run the offence. "I wont get into specifics, but there are some issues that we felt should be moving along quicker than they are," said Popp, who made the decision along with owner Bob Wetenhall. "We feel its going very slow. "Were a veteran team. Were looking for results now. Hopefully we can get ourselves back to the Alouette way." Hawkins was hired Feb. 19 to replace the popular Marc Trestman, who left to become head coach of the NFLs Chicago Bears. In five seasons, Trestman took the Alouettes to three Grey Cup games, winning twice. The chatty, gung-ho Hawkins had been working as a broadcaster after a career of coaching U.S. college teams. He was told of the decision by phone on Wednesday night and was to meet with Popp on Thursday. Popp said Hawkins lack of experience coaching pro players was his undoing. He called Hawkins a good coach, but said "the transition hasnt been real smooth." The Alouettes, whose only losing season since returning to Montreal after a 10-year hiatus in 1996 was the last time Popp took over as coach in 2007, has struggled to a 2-3 start. The attack led by all-time CFL passing leader Anthony Calvillo, with 11-of-12 starters back from last season, looked disjointed and tentative as it adjusted to a new approach brought in by Hawkins and Miller against the advice of Popp and Calvillo. "We wanted the coaches to learn the language, instead of 12 people having to learn something new," said Popp. "That didnt take place." He didnt go into much detail on what constitutes the Alouette way, but said there were ways of doing things the team had developed that made it a consistent winner. "Its a philosophy that works," he said. "When you start swaying away too much from that, if people say, I dont care how it was done, I want to do it this way, you want to give the guy some freedom to do things. "But if it starts rubbing too many people the wrong way, and youre not getting results, it starts creating negativity, and then you worry if theyre going to lose the locker-room. "I dont think Dan lost the locker-room, but I think it was teetering. Were trying to get things back on the path of how we practice, how we do things in our locker-room." He gave one example. The Alouettes had always spent 10 minutes before practice stretching, but that was cut to seven minutes, which upset some players. "These things fester," said Popp. "And if things arent going as well as youd like, then they become a much bigger problem than they really are." Always the good soldier, Calvillo avoided any criticism of the coaching staff. He said that in his first three meetings with Miller before training camp, he was instructing the new OC on how the offence worked, but after that Miller began to make changes. Calvillo said he went along with it because of Millers credentials as former offensive co-ordinator of the NFLs Arizona Cardinals. And he said the offence had shown signs of coming around in recent games. But he also didnt question the decision to make a change. "Theres been some frustration across the board," he said. "Weve had a certain standard here for a number of years and its been very tough to swallow the direction our team was going in. "But Ill continue to trust our owner (Bob Wetenhall) and Jim Popp. Theyve decided to make a change. Ill trust in that and move forward." It was the second time in a row Montreal hired a coach with no CFL experience. But while it worked with Trestman, Hawkins did not appear comfortable with the 12-man game. "You can definitely look back and call it a mistake," Popp admitted. Hawkins bowed out a winner, however. Despite the teams spotty play, the Alouettes are in second place in the weak East Division and are coming off a nervy 32-27 win over 1-4 Edmonton. Popp said he hopes Miller will stay with the team and learn the Canadian game. Berry will become the de facto OC without getting the title for now. Berry worked for the Alouettes as offensive line coach and later as OC from 1996 to 2005, before leaving to become head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He spent two seasons as OC in Saskatchewan before returning to Montreal to help Hawkins adjustment to the CFL. Hawkins had previously coached mainly U.S. college teams, taking Boise State to four Western Athletic Conference titles from 2002 to 2005 before compiling a disappointing 19-39 record at Colorado from 2006 to 2010. Popp, whose father was an NFL coach, first stepped in as coach to finish off a disastrous 2001 campaign under Rod Rust, but Don Matthews took over the following season. He became coach again when Matthews fell ill during the 2006 season and brought the Alouettes to the Grey Cup game. He stayed on for 2007, in which the rookie-laden club that was missing Calvillo for much of the season went 8-10 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Winnipeg. Popps CFL regular-season coaching record is 10-13, with a 1-3 mark in playoff games. He will be on the field for his first informal practice with the team on Friday. He said coaching will help him as a general manager because he will get to know the players better and help his assessment of the coaching staff as the search begins for a new head coach, likely to take over next season. He would not confirm that he will coach for the rest of this season, saying only that "ultimately there will be a new head coach." Stefon Diggs Vikings Jersey . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Stefon Diggs Jersey Sales . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. http://www.fansvikingsteamstore.com/stefon-diggs-vikings-jersey.html . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys China . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Cheap Custom Vikings Jersey . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. The NFL MVP race is shaping up to be a fun one.Matt Ryan has 23 touchdown passes and only four interceptions, and the Falcons are rolling. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have led the Cowboys to a 7-1 start. Tom Brady hasnt thrown an interception since returning from suspension, and the Patriots are the leagues best team. Then there are a few dark horses who are having fantastic seasons and could jump to the top of the list.We checked in with five NFL personnel executives to get ttheir thoughts on?which player?would get their MVP vote right now and which player?was most likely to take home the award by the end of the season.ddddddddddddThe results were fascinating, and nine candidates emerged, according to the executives I polled. Here they are -- in order from most likely to win MVP to least likely -- with execs quotes for each player: ' ' '