Benny back as Special Teams coach

[squishy35]

https://3downnation.com/2023/05/30/b-c- ... aves-team/

He is replacing Yanowsky who is leaving for family reasons.

[cromartie]

Not Benny's area of expertise, as I recall, though he was better than our successor.

That said, all the best that things come into a better place for Don.

[B.C.FAN]

I saw Benevides at training camp the other day but he stayed out of public view. I wanted to ask if it was a personal or professional visit. Another fan saw him and had the same questions. We suspected he might be scouting for another team.

Benevides was the Lions' special teams coach from 2003 to 2007 and did an excellent job before he became defensive coordinator.

[Hambone]

Not Benny's area of expertise, as I recall, though he was better than our successor.

That said, all the best that things come into a better place for Don.

Benevides spent 7 years in the role of Special Teams Coordinator and Linebackers coach before being promoted to DC in BC in 2008 after Dave Ritchie retired. Bene was STC/LBC in Calgary (2001-02) and BC (2003-07) before becoming DC in 2008.

[TheLionKing]

Frankly I was surprised that Yanowsky was retained by coach Campbell after last season. Benevides did a good job as the Special Teams coach when he was with the Lions.

[Blitz]

When I saw the headline, "Mike Benevedes returns to Coach Lions", my heart stuck in my throat. But when I learned he was returning as special teams coordinator, I was relieved and even quite happy. Benevedes did a good job overall as our special teams coordinator. He was a much younger coach then, being 'mentored' as well as groomed ('Little Wally') as Wally's eventual replacement by Wally himself.

When Wally retired at the end of the 2011 season , he appointed Benevedes as HC, but after three seasons, in 2014, Wally axed Benny, hired Jeff Tedford, and then Wally returned to the side lines in 2016.

Benevedes sat out of coaching football for year after his release from the Leos. He was hired as defensive coordinator in Edmonton in 2016 and released by Edmonton in 2018 before being hired by Ottawa as their defensive coordinator for two seasons before being released again.

No one was interested in his services as a coach for the 2023 season and that enabled us to hire him to coach our special teams this year.

Benny is now back to the place he was in during the earlier part of his coaching career in Calgary and then B.C. coaching special teams. Leo fans will likely have to put up with a lot of Benny poses, Benny rants, and even some Benny 'bumps' but I anticipate an improvement in our special teams play with his return.

[SammyGreene]

When I saw the headline, "Mike Benevedes returns to Coach Lions", my heart stuck in my throat. But when I learned he was returning as special teams coordinator, I was relieved and even quite happy. Benevedes did a good job overall as our special teams coordinator. He was a much younger coach then, being 'mentored' as well as groomed ('Little Wally') as Wally's eventual replacement by Wally himself.

When Wally retired at the end of the 2011 season , he appointed Benevedes as HC, but after three seasons, in 2014, Wally axed Benny, hired Jeff Tedford, and then Wally returned to the side lines in 2016.

Benevedes sat out of coaching football for year after his release from the Leos. He was hired as defensive coordinator in Edmonton in 2016 and released by Edmonton in 2018 before being hired by Ottawa as their defensive coordinator for two seasons before being released again.

No one was interested in his services as a coach for the 2023 season and that enabled us to hire him to coach our special teams this year.

Benny is now back to the place he was in during the earlier part of his coaching career in Calgary and then B.C. coaching special teams. Leo fans will likely have to put up with a lot of Benny poses, Benny rants, and even some Benny 'bumps' but I anticipate an improvement in our special teams play with his return.

Blitz! Welcome back old friend. Still in outstanding form and only fitting for a return of Benny post.

[cromartie]

Eh, I know his successor was demonstrably worse, and I too didn't think much at all of Yanowsky either, but I don't recall Benny being all that great when he had that job the first time around. I'd search this site for specific examples, actually, but I'm lazy.

That said, I like him and I root for him, and I wish more Head Coaches took the care that Wally did in raising Canadian coaches up through a franchise infastructure like he did for Benny. It's really a shame it didn't work out.

Nice to see you back again, Blitz.

[Dusty]

Benny is now back to the place he was in during the earlier part of his coaching career in Calgary and then B.C. coaching special teams. Leo fans will likely have to put up with a lot of Benny poses, Benny rants, and even some Benny 'bumps' but I anticipate an improvement in our special teams play with his return.

When I think of the ST coaches that seem to have ongoing "success" in the CFL I think of Reinebold (Hamilton) and Kilam (Calgary). Both of them are upbeat, high energy and willing to show passion about and towards their ST players. And they seem prepared to draw up some plays that are non-standard (for want of a better description).

Special Teams need to be quick downfield, swarming, prepared to fight though blocks and know the rules of contact, 5 yards zone and blocking from the rear. I'm more than willing to watch a few Bene 'bumps' in exchange for more spirited Special Team play that what we have endured for too many years.

Great to see you post, Blitz.

[Toppy Vann]

When I saw the headline, "Mike Benevedes returns to Coach Lions", my heart stuck in my throat. But when I learned he was returning as special teams coordinator, I was relieved and even quite happy. Benevedes did a good job overall as our special teams coordinator. He was a much younger coach then, being 'mentored' as well as groomed ('Little Wally') as Wally's eventual replacement by Wally himself.

When Wally retired at the end of the 2011 season , he appointed Benevedes as HC, but after three seasons, in 2014, Wally axed Benny, hired Jeff Tedford, and then Wally returned to the side lines in 2016.

Benevedes sat out of coaching football for year after his release from the Leos. He was hired as defensive coordinator in Edmonton in 2016 and released by Edmonton in 2018 before being hired by Ottawa as their defensive coordinator for two seasons before being released again.

No one was interested in his services as a coach for the 2023 season and that enabled us to hire him to coach our special teams this year.

Benny is now back to the place he was in during the earlier part of his coaching career in Calgary and then B.C. coaching special teams. Leo fans will likely have to put up with a lot of Benny poses, Benny rants, and even some Benny 'bumps' but I anticipate an improvement in our special teams play with his return.

I too think this is a good appointment as we're now seeing a more mature and more experienced coach than the one elevated to take over for Dave Ritchie as DC or the one elevated to HC by Wally Buono.

While I'm confident that Wally thought Mike Benevides ready for the HC role, in the end it might have been far wiser for Mike B. to not have got that job at the time and waited a few more years. On the other hand, these jobs and your opportunity don't pop up routinely in a 9-team CFL so someone jumping at the chance is hardly a surprise.

The Mike Benevides I've been watching on the sidelines coaching in these last few years does not come across as the same coach he was back in the BC days. As Blitz notes, he's animated etc.

However, I've changed my view on his antics from believing strongly that he was too much (like Jacque C. ) wanting to be the show to where it's now just part of the coaching style he employs and it's not him just showboating.

When Dave Ritchie was the DC here, I thought he could have shown more sideline interest in how Ritchie worked the sidelines than he did where he rarely was even close to where Dave called the signals through injured players.

I could be wrong BUT these days if he were interviewing for a HC role, he'd likely fare much better than before with the Lions. His HC record is still a winning a record 33-21 BUT I'd suggest he was not ready for that role back then.

Bottom line: Wally did him no favours.

Benevides has a ton more experience with Edmonton and Ottawa since being in BC.