New head coach Corey Mace ready to lead Roughriders
Riders GM calls Mace 'the clear candidate'
Corey Mace could not hide his smile as he was officially announced as the new head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday.
Mace, 37, spent the last two seasons as the defensive co-ordinator for the Toronto Argonauts, helping the team win a Grey Cup in 2022.
Mace was among several candidates interviewed by Roughriders general manager Jeremy O'Day.
"[O'Day] called me and he said, 'Hey, I'm in the team meeting room and I'm standing at the podium and I can't unsee you," Mace said Friday.
"I said, 'Hey, don't you start talking to me like that unless you mean it.'
"It was elation. It was a celebration. Quite honestly, it's still sinking in."
Mace is the 48th coach in Riders history and the first Canadian to lead the team in more than 20 years. He takes over a team that finished 6-12 in back-to-back years, missing the playoff each time.
He said he wants the team to reflect its fan base and community.
"We're gonna be a blue-collar, hard-working football team and fast, physical and smart. A product I would love for the fan base to come back and be extremely proud of."
Mace, from Port Moody, B.C., also won two Grey Cups with the Calgary Stampeders, once as a player (2014) and once as a defensive line coach (2018), before joining the Argos.
Mace played for the Stampeders from 2010 to 2015 before retiring and coaching the defensive line. He became the Argos DC in 2022. He played college ball at the University of Wyoming and for the NFL's Buffalo Bills.
O'Day calls Mace 'the clear candidate'
Mace replaces Craig Dickenson, who did not have his contract renewed on Oct. 23.
O'Day said he interviewed Mace twice, for six hours the first time around.
"He made it be known right in the start and right at the end that he wanted to be the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders."
O'Day said the other candidates were solid, but did not make the impression Mace did.
"At the end of the first interview, I could tell that he was ready to be a head coach. We wanted to bring him into the building, get to meet him in person," O'Day said.
"When he came for his second interview again in-person, we were up pretty late talking ball and talking about what we want the team to look like. And it became really clear that Corey was the clear candidate to be our next head coach."
Mace to make Regina home
O'Day said there were several criteria for his new coach to meet and one was involvement in the community. Mace said he will be visible and active in Saskatchewan and Regina.
Mace said he and his wife Petra will move to the Queen City with their two young children as soon as possible.
"You understand when you get to meet people from the province of Saskatchewan what this logo and this team means to the community. I take pride in that as much as I know the community takes pride in this team. I will never lose sight of that," he said.
"This is Saskatchewan's team."
Mace said his introduction to football can be attributed to former Roughrider Brooks Findlay, who gave him an autographed card and tickets to a B.C. Lions-Saskatchewan Roughriders game in Vancouver when he was young.
He said he looked at the Riders logo on the card and dreamed of one day playing in the league.
Mace wants Harris at QB
Mace was asked about his plans for quarterback Trevor Harris. The 37-year-old was injured early this past season, but aims to be back on the field next year.
Mace said he spoke to Harris and receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker after getting the job.
He said having a veteran quarterback is like having another coach on the field.
"[Harris] is going to be an extension of my voice on the field. I'm a firm believer that as coaches we can give them all the information they want, but the players are out there getting it done. So when you kind of get an assistant coach out there with the players that helps."
Mace was asked about his coaching staff and said he felt good about who he could bring in, but did not get into specifics.
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with files from The Canadian Press