Saskatchewan Roughriders' head coach Corey Mace still enjoys working on game plans and calling plays as defensive coordinator.
"At some point, I will probably let go of it, just not there at this moment," Mace said from the CFL's winter meetings in Charlotte, N.C.
With Mace leading the defence, the Green and White led the CFL last season with 49 turnovers, 24 interceptions, 14 fumbles recovered and 11 turnovers on downs. His unit allowed 80.3 rush yards per game, the lowest amount in the league. For the 2025 campaign, the Riders will be without J.C. Sherritt, who was the team's linebackers coach and run game coordinator in 2024. He was hired by Edmonton to be the Elks' defensive coordinator.
"We're losing a heck of a coach in J.C. Sherritt. What an opportunity for him and wish him nothing but the most success, outside of playing us. I'm doing those guys a disservice if I don't prepare those guys and eventually give it up," Mace said about defensive coaches on his staff and his role as defensive coordinator.
The Roughriders hired Travis Brown as the team's linebackers coach. He was the B.C. Lions linebackers coach from 2019 to 2024. Under Brown's guidance in 2021, Bo Lokombo won the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian award and Jordan Williams won the league's Most Outstanding Rookie award.
"Any room he's been a part of throughout his coaching career in the CFL, tremendous performances from his guys in those linebacker rooms," Mace said. "I have never had the pleasure to work with Travis. It's going to be a little bit more of a learning curve for us getting to know each other, how we like to game plan and collaborate from that standpoint."
Saskatchewan finished second in the West Division last year with a 9-8-1 record, earning a home playoff game in the West Semi-Final. The Riders defeated the B.C. Lions 28-19 but lost the following week to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Final 38-22. Before Mace began his tenure with the Roughriders, the team finished 6-12 and did not make the postseason for two years in a row.
Prior to coaching, Mace played for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL from 2007 to 2009. He came north and played for the Calgary Stampeders from 2010 to 2015, winning one Grey Cup as a player in 2014 as the Stamps beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16. The Port Moody, B.C. native won a CFL championship as a defensive line coach in 2018 with the Stamps. His most recent Grey Cup win was with the Toronto Argonauts as defensive coordinator when the Double Blue beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23 in 2022.
