CFL Coaching & GM Changes for 2024

[Toppy Vann]

With Zoom calls these days, it makes it harder for the pundits to find out who's getting interviewed lol.

I think it'd be tough to get Buck Pierce out of Winnipeg where he has a good job and success. He might make a family decision over his desire to be HC in Sask if he is even in the mix. The "safest" pick before games are played might be former HC Scott Milanovich.

If he did get an exit offer, Lapo in WPG as OC might work depending on how O'Shea sees him.
Burris should be looked at as CFL coach somewhere. We need these former stars coaching in Canada if possible.
Not all make the transition for great player to coach but I think he could for sure.

Irony is that if Trevor Harris wasn't lost so early they might have been a contender and Craig Dickenson, still there as HC.
I followed how hard he worked out off-season including in Vancouver and those Instagram videos of him, Rourke etc looked like he was on fire.

[B.C.FAN]

Mike O’Shea has confirmed that Buck Pierce is being interviewed for a head coaching position. He didn’t confirm that Saskatchewan is the interested team.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football ... r-head-job

[TheLionKing]

Apparently the choice is down to either Buck Pierce or Corey Mace.

[Toppy Vann]

Mike O’Shea has confirmed that Buck Pierce is being interviewed for a head coaching position. He didn’t confirm that Saskatchewan is the interested team.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football ... r-head-job

O'Shea brings up a good point here for coaching stability:

A salary cap on coaches and football operations staff often makes a promotion to a head coaching position the only way for people like Pierce to improve their financial position.

Story also says the GM Kyle Walters and A/GMs will sign new contracts according to league sources.
O'Shea said at GC, the GM would likely be back making me wonder if they were thinking of O'Shea as maybe GM and HC leaving some money to go to coaches like Pierce to keep them on board. Finishing that line of thinking suggests that O'Shea was the one who'd make that decision.


If it's down to Mace and Pierce, the question is what is O'Day looking for in a HC and which one of these two highly respected coaches does he see filling the bill. I know less of Mace other than he's a great DEF coach and has the demeanour it seems to be HC.

I'm not convinced that these GMs actually have a broad outline of specifics in a HC that they are seeking including the ability to work with the GM.

[Toppy Vann]

Riders leaning toward Buck Pierce for head-coaching job: Dunk
Regina / 980 CJME
Britton Gray
Nov 28, 2023 | 5:11 PM

There does seem to be a bit of leaking here lol

“It does seem like the Riders want to go offensive here and that is one of those signs,” Dunk said. “Yes, Mace’s offensive co-ordinator would be Marc Mueller but it didn’t seem Rider Nation liked the idea of that because Mueller was calling the plays early last year in Calgary and then (head coach Dave) Dickenson took that back.”

The question of your staff is always likely top of mind for GM hiring.

Good info in this.

https://www.cjme.com/2023/11/28/riders- ... -job-dunk/


In other news, Walters and his A/GMs got extended.

https://3downnation.com/2023/11/28/winn ... extension/

[Hambone]

Interesting change of heart for Rider Nation re: Mueller. This time last year he was their top pick to replace Maas as OC.

[DanoT]

The big thing with a HC, especially a rookie HC like Pierce, would be what contacts does he have for hiring his assistants?

[B.C.FAN]

The big thing with a HC, especially a rookie HC like Pierce, would be what contacts does he have for hiring his assistants?

He might be wise to approach Paul LaPolice for the OC job so he doesn’t have to take on that role but LaPo might prefer to go back to Winnipeg and work with a veteran coaching staff.

[Toppy Vann]

The elevation of O'Shea's annoyance with the football ops cap to a full article today confirms for this uninformed observer that the Bombers are about to lose Buck Pierce who some suggest will try to take Jordan Younger as his DC but O'Shea is likely too high on him to let him go.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea rips CFL’s operations cap
By 3Down Staff -November 29, 2023

For teams like the Blue Bombers, who have been to four consecutive Grey Cups, it makes it challenging for assistant coaches and other staff members to receive raises they’ve earned. Winnipeg can certainly afford to pay them, too, considering the team made $7 million in profit over the course of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Financial figures for 2023 are not yet finalized, though the club is expected to post another large surplus.

https://3downnation.com/2023/11/29/winn ... tions-cap/

[Toppy Vann]

Darrell Davis: CFL media truly predicted path of Roughriders head coach search
Milanovich out, Pierce next, Mace worthy of consideration

Author of the article:Darrell Davis
Published Nov 29, 2023

Maybe it’s time to start reporting on the Grey Cup media conversations, writing them as facts, because there truly were two reporters who essentially said point-blank, “Milanovich will be considered first, but something will prevent that from happening. Pierce and Mace are the other two candidates. Pierce has the profile to get the job and he would be a great hire, but Mace will be so impressive in his interviews that he will get serious consideration and might even convince O’Day to hire him.”

Maybe that’s what happened. Maybe not. There are reports that Milanovich wanted too much money, too much control …

https://leaderpost.com/sports/football/ ... ach-search

[B.C.FAN]

Farhan Lalji reports that Saskatchewan has agreed to hire Argo defensive coordinator Corey Mace as the Riders’ new head coach.

https://x.com/tsn_sports/status/1730045 ... gGjb_94D6A

[Toppy Vann]

Confirmed that Corey Mace is the new HC as reported by BC Fan.

He's a good coach and deserves a promotion.

I couldn't quite see Buck Pierce in Green.

Riderfans might be pissed as he's a DC.

https://3downnation.com/2023/11/29/sask ... ead-coach/

[Gridiron Ernie]

I did not know that Corey Mace is from Port Moody. And at 37 I suspect he's the youngest head coach in the CFL. Given several more years of success, who knows, down the line he might end up plying his trade back on the West Coast one day. That said, if Buck Pierce ever leaves Winnipeg, I'd love to see him with the Lions one day.

[SammyGreene]

Was Mace actually the Riders’ 2nd choice? According to the Bombers’ Ed Tait Buck withdrew his name.

And that’s why he’s decided to remain as the club’s offensive coordinator after pulling his name from consideration for the Saskatchewan Roughriders head coaching vacancy this week.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/11/30 ... s-with-it/

[Toppy Vann]

Was Mace actually the Riders’ 2nd choice? According to the Bombers’ Ed Tait Buck withdrew his name.

And that’s why he’s decided to remain as the club’s offensive coordinator after pulling his name from consideration for the Saskatchewan Roughriders head coaching vacancy this week.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/11/30 ... s-with-it/

He may have withdrawn but Mace seems to be his final choice from O'Day's words.

Sammy, I can't find it now but I read last night somewhere that the Riders GM who interviewed Buck wasn't even sure he really wanted the job. If I find it, I'll post it.
From Buck's comments, it sure seems that he probably didn't convey a strong attraction to the role.

Also, this article says Mace and O'Day were fully in synch and Mace really wanted the job even though he liked Buck.

This says that Milanovich wanted time back home off-season and Riders weren't having that - and I don't blame them. The CFL fan base isn't big enough for that.

https://3downnation.com/2023/11/30/i-wa ... ead-coach/

This article has more of Buck's thoughts and why he was likely not exuding tremendous enthusiasm for the role.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/a-place- ... love-story

Just like dating you want to hire someone attracted to what you have to offer, not someone moving away from a bad situation.
Mace is not moving away from a bad situation as he and Dinwiddie were tight long before Toronto. He's in love with the job - at least for now.