Breaking down the old and the new on the Eskimos’ 2019 coaching staff
Despite fresh faces in co-ordinator roles, Maas’s crew has an air of familiarity
For all the change that has taken place on the Edmonton Eskimos coaching staff, there is a familiarity in the current group that belies the fact all three of head coach Jason Maas’s co-ordinators are different than last year’s.
The new staff will have its first opportunity to get onto the field together with the players this weekend when Canadian Football League training camps open, which will officially — not to mention finally — turn the page on the disappointment that was a 2018 season that saw them fall well short of expectations.
In a year where Edmonton was hosting the Grey Cup, the Eskimos didn’t even make playoffs, despite not having a losing record.
“You know the old saying: The only constant is change,” said Brock Sunderland, who is heading into his third season as Eskimos general manager. “Some of it was the operations salary cap, some of it was we just have to bet better.
“When you’re 9-9 and you’re not where you want to be, changes are going to happen.”
It’s easily the most adversity the club has felt during Maas’s time as head coach, which began with back-to-back conference finals appearances in 2016 and ’17.
In fact, last season was the first time since 2013 the Eskimos weren’t at least one of the final four teams in contention for the Grey Cup.
And Maas & Co. would like nothing more than to write off last year’s result a one-off as opposed to the start of a downward trend.
As such, it was important for him to assemble this year’s coaching staff as soon as possible, announcing the majority of them in early January, so their work could begin right away.
“When we talk about lessons learned from 2018, a big one was when you’re finalizing your staff in April? Not ideal,” Sunderland said, referring to the loss of offensive co-ordinator Carson Walch to an NFL job late in last year’s off-season, which forced the Eskimos into an unplanned rejigging of duties. “That’s not an excuse, that’s not why we went 9-9. But, certainly, when you get people together sooner and they get on the same page, communicate and form their camaraderie and get their game plan, it helps everybody.
“So that was a very concerted effort by both Jason and I, let’s get this done as quick as we can. With the right people, not to hire people just to hire them.”
Here is a look at all the moving parts on the Eskimos 2019 coaching staff:
JASON MAAS, HEAD COACH
Heading into his fourth season at the helm the team he spent most of his CFL playing career with, Maas will become the longest-serving Eskimos head coach since Danny Maciocia in 2008. Under Maas, the Eskimos have gone 31-23 (.574) in the regular season and 2-2 when making playoffs. His first two years as head coach, Maas had entirely the same coaching staff. Of that group, five of the nine still remain on board, though some of their roles have changed. And those new to the group this season have previous ties to the club. His biggest change this year will see him drop the title of offensive co-ordinator he held in a dual role in 2018.
Maas’s take: “I think every year, whether you win it or you don’t, you’ve got to look at your roster, you’ve got to look at what you’ve done and ultimately decide on what you’re going to do going forward.”
PHILLIP LOLLEY, DEFENSIVE CO- ORDINATOR
Lolley is back with the club he won the 2015 Grey Cup with as linebackers coach, only this time, he is broadening his scope to include the entire defence. Taking over for the outgoing Mike Benevides, who spent the past three seasons as Eskimos defensive co-ordinator and assistant head coach, Lolley is inheriting a defence that finished seventh in offensive points allowed (24.3 per game), sixth in net offence allowed (360 yards per game), tied for fifth in forced turnovers (37), yet finished tied for first in sacks (45) and finished just one interception off the league lead in that category.
And without J.C. Sherritt quarterbacking things out of the middle linebacker position with an off-season retirement announcement to join the rival Calgary Stampeders as their linebackers coach, it goes without saying the Eskimos defence is suffering from a bit of an identity crisis at the moment. But from what we know of Lolley, they’ll be too busy pinning their ears back preparing to blitz their way into the season to worry about anything like that.
Maas’s take: “We tried everything that we could to get Bene back, the numbers wouldn’t work and we go in another direction. And to be able to land Phillip Lolley, who’s got as much experience as probably any coach in our league, at different levels and doing different things. I had a lot of respect for him before and talking to him and picking his brain about the co-ordinating position, I’m very thrilled to get him to come aboard with the experience that he does have. Listening to how he’s going to get the other coaches on the same page, it’s going to be a team effort to get that defence where we need it to be, to a championship level. Player buy-in, all that stuff, it’s going to be a new voice.”
MIKE GIBSON, ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/ OFFENSIVE LINE
Gibson takes over the role of Eskimos assistant head coach following Benevides’ departure, while maintaining his duties as offensive-line coach he’s held since coming in with Maas in 2016. But just what sort of group he will surround incoming quarterback Trevor Harris with is anyone’s guess. Edmonton’s pass protection went from surrendering a league-low 29 sacks in 2017, to coughing up a division-worst 41 quarterback crunchers last year. That didn’t stop the Eskimos from posting a league-best 311 passing yards per game, mind you.
Maas’s take: “There’s no better guy on our staff to take over that position than Mike. He has as many years of experience as anybody and he’s been loyal to me. This will be his fourth year in the system with us and he’s always done exactly what I wanted from our O-line. He coaches his guys hard and well and I know we’re in good hands with him being the assistant head coach.”
JORDAN MAKSYMIC, OFFENSIVE CO- ORDINATOR/ QUARTERBACKS COACH
Of course, the Eskimos will be without their biggest weapon with franchise quarterback Mike Reilly heading back to B.C. in free agency. While Maksymic won’t be calling the shots alone, he has certainly climbed the ladder of playcalling-by-committee Maas employs after spending the past three seasons as the Eskimos quarterbacks coach. Before rejoining his hometown CFL club where he was an offensive assistant in 2013, the native of St. Albert coached with Maas in Ottawa.
Maas’s take: “Promoting Jordan to offensive co-ordinator was a big move. Jordan’s bided his time with me and really learned under Carson and learned what he can from me. He’s about as detailed and organized a person as I’ve been around, so I know he will be getting all the pieces ready and getting coaches on the right page. Watching him coach last year and in install, would get the buy-in from the players, he obviously gets a lot of respect from the quarterbacks, having worked mostly with them, but watching that evolve to other players and the respect they have for him, I just think it’s the right time for Jordan to take over and I’m excited about him with his opportunity.”
A. J. GASS , SPECIAL- TEAMS CO- ORDINATOR
Maas opted to deal with what had been an ineffective Eskimos special teams since even before his arrival as head coach by lobbing a grenade into it, firing co-ordinator Cory McDiarmid mid-season and his interim replacement, special-teams assistant Dave Jackson, once it was over. While both of them have found their way back into those same roles on Corey Chamblin’s Toronto Argonauts staff, Maas elected to hand those reins over to former Eskimos teammate and linebacker A.J. Gass.
Maas’s take: “Obviously, making the change on special teams needed to be done. We needed to go in another direction based on what we’ve done the last couple years with our return game, in particular. Trying to make that better and just trying to get another voice in there. Obviously, I had a ton of respect for A.J. Gass as a player and I know what he’s going to bring to the table. He’s the type of guy that I know can get that kind of thing done.”
JASON TUCKER, PASSGAME CO- ORDINATOR/ RECEIVERS COACH
When you’ve already broken your neck for your team, there’s not much more that needs to be proven. Thankfully, the former Eskimos star receiver and Grey Cup hero is marking his second return to the club he spent seven seasons playing with by once again taking a much safer role on the coaching staff, this time under former teammate Maas. Tucker previously served as Eskimos receivers coach from 2009-10.
Maas’s take: “Having played with Tucker and knowing what kind of man he is and what kind of work ethic he has and what he brings to the table, I am truly excited about bringing Tucker aboard.”
RETURNING TRIO
Rounding out Maas’s staff is a trio of returning coaches, with Demetrious Maxie at defensive line, Barron Miles at defensive backs and Tim Prinsen at running backs, while Travis Brown joins as assistant linebackers coach. The Fresno State product played two seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, including a Grey Cup appearance with Maas in 2015.
You’ve got to look at your roster, you’ve got to look at what you’ve done and ultimately decide on what you’re going to do going forward.