Riders Name Cory Mace New Head Coach

Pierce getting an interview got people excited, with many feeling the Riders needed an offensive minded coach. The question was, who Pierce would get to run the defense and offensive line and what his ability to attract free agents would be like.

Here’s something that probably won’t go over well with Bomber fans.

The Bombers are looking to host the Grey Cup in 2025, which means they will be keeping the group that has been to the last four Grey Cups, but losing the last two, for the next two years. The Bombers whined this week about the football administration cap limiting their ability to pay their assistants the best in the league, but something funny came out in the midst of their whining.

After the Bombers gave their blessing to Pierce interviewing for the head coaching job, the Bombers resigned their GM and assistant GMs, although perhaps at lower prices, and they will retain Pierce and Jordan Younger, who was rumored to perhaps be coming over to run the Rider defense. The Bombers roster though is getting older and while the Bombers luck in avoiding injuries is probably a combination of better living through chemistry, conditioning programs, and luck, something has to run out in the next couple of years.

The Bombers roster is trending older and their free agents are more or less mid 30’s to older and I am reminded of the 1976 Riders who made one last effort to win another Grey Cup, then got old and fell into an 11 year out of the playoff streak. It may not happen next year, but I think in two years, time will catch up with the Bombers and their impressive run will be over. So why did Mace get the job? The Rider defense died from lack of conditioning and probably the lumpiest carpet for CFL teams to play on in Canada. Mace’s defense is fast and tough and the Argos defeat in the eastern final was due to the offense turning the ball over, not the defensive play.

The rumor mill has Marc Mueller, grandson of Ron Lancaster, taking over as offensive coordinator. This is an interesting move seeing how Mueller was removed from play-calling in Calgary last year and replaced by head coach Dave Dickenson. Mueller though has a great pedigree considering he is the grandson of Ron Lancaster, who with George Reed stand as the builders of the modern Riders, and his career as the quarterback with the University of Regina Rams. Mueller has a presence that makes you feel anything is possible when he runs plays, or in this case calls them.

The other players on the Rams felt confident they were in every game that Mueller played in and that is something the Riders desperately needed after Labor Day. While Mueller’s track record as an offensive coordinator may be a bit underwhelming, due to a small sample size, the crucial hiring on offense will be the offensive line coach. If the Riders get someone who knows what they are doing, the offensive line could well spark a turnaround of the team.

The operative word is “could”, but I suspect the biggest reason for Mace coming in, besides his character and track record, is this list of free agents with connections to Mace.

Consider these additions to the Riders. A.J. Ouellette, running back; Jamal Peters, defensive back; Adarius Pickett, linebacker; Shawn Oakman, defensive line; Darius Ciraco, offensive line; Shawn Lemon, defensive line (Lemon played with Mace in Calgary and helped spark Montreal to a Grey Cup championship); Wynton McManis, Linebacker; Jameer Thurman, linebacker (played with Mace in Calgary); Javon Leake, running back and kick returner who won special teams player of the year; and Shawn Bane Jr., Riders WR.

In addition, the voice of the Riders, Michael Ball, threw this out that the hiring of Mace and addition of Mueller as offensive coordinator would be enough to bring former Rams lineman Brent Jones into the Rider fold. So, a Rider offense with the additions of Ciraco and Jones and Ouellette at running back would be a dramatic step forward for this team.

The receiving corps is not bad, if not injury prone, and a vastly improved offensive line may be enough to keep Trevor Harris and whoever else the Riders bring in in a vertical upright position. A Rider defense with the additions of Oakman, Peters, Lemon, Thurman, McManis and Pickett would be fast, deadly and more inclined to stop the run than the Leper Colony the Riders fielded on defense last year. Mace is the first step but his success will depend on who he brings in as assistants and how much of a culture reset he can bring to the Riders.

A team that looks competitive, or gives the impression they are trying, with accountability, may bring fans back to Mosaic Stadium. Mueller may be a bit of a long-shot at offensive coordinator, but maybe Mueller will find Trevor Harris is more likely to listen than Jake Maier. It also fits the pattern O’Day brought in last year when he drafted the grandson of Al Ford, Jaxon Ford, and now bringing in the grandson of Ron Lancaster.

It’s the sort of move that works on a level of Rider fans looking for some continuity with the past, as opposed to the one-year contract mercenaries now in the CFL, but Mueller has the temperament and the brain to be able to process and be an effective offensive coordinator.

The Riders could have taken a few bites of the Bombers by hiring Pierce, but I like the look of the potential free agents the Riders could sign if Mace is involved in the recruiting. What Toronto has to offer with their free agents is much more enticing than the Bombers and their geriatric care centre could serve up. It’s a first step for the Riders and there is no need to reserve your spot for the Riders Grey Cup parade in 2024.

At least not yet. In the meantime, the Riders have chosen a guy who has won in Calgary and Toronto and whose players play for him, unlike Craig Dickenson and the Riders last year. In Riderville, this is called progress.

by Greg Urbanoski

Riders Name Cory Mace New Head Coach

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