Will Corey Mace raise the Riders?

Mueller was up for the offensive coordinator job last year but chose to stay in Calgary, mostly because the Rider situation with both Jeremy O’Day and Craig Dickenson both were in the final year of their contracts and had not been renewed.

That created an impression the Riders were shaky organizationally, but Mueller’s decision to stay in Calgary was not without some risks. Calgary managed to keep quarterback Jake Maier upright, but Calgary’s receiving corps was a revolving door of Cirque de Soleil rejects who couldn’t catch a cold and so Calgary quarterback Dave Dickenson took over the play-calling towards the end of the season. This by itself is not really a black mark against Mueller and his ability.

As quarterback of the University of Regina Rams QB, Mueller operated at a top level and had the confidence of his teammates that he could lead them to a win no matter what the circumstances. Dave Dickenson is a bit of a micromanager who did not really inspire the team, but did enough to rally them into the playoffs where they got stomped by the BC Lions Mueller started off as a defensive assistant with the Stampeders before becoming a running back coach.

The Stampeders have had a pretty consistent running game, a combination of good running backs and a solid offensive line, so if past behaviour is indicative of future behaviour, the Riders will be placing a premium on establishing a running game and solid offensive line play. One of the interesting things to watch is how Mueller works with Trevor Harris, who Mace likes as a quarterback and who has something to prove after his season was cut short by an injury last year.

Harris may be encouraged by how Mueller revamps the offense to best use the talents of the players there or coming there. The Riders also announced Kent Maugeri will be back as special team’s coordinator and it appears Mace will be assuming defensive coordinator duties.

Most CFL assistant coach’s contracts expire at the end of December so for coaches making perhaps lateral moves, Mace’s staff will likely not be filled out until the middle of January and the most important hiring will be whoever is named the offensive line coach.

It would be a mistake to underestimate the anger of Rider fans over the team’s performance the last two years and the reaction from senior brass. The lack of passion, especially in the Riders hosting of Hamilton, made people question why they would shell out money to watch such an uninspired and lazy performance. The hiring of Mace was a first step toward restoring the Riders hold on their fans imagination. Mace’s attitude that he wanted the job, wanted to be in Riderville, was infectious to the season ticket holders who showed up to listen to what he had to say.

Craig Dickenson is a decent neighbour, but as we move away from the tail end of the 2023 season, it became apparent he had lost the locker room in trying to not be a hard ass like say his predecessor Chris Jones. Mace wants to be a coach and he wants people who want to be here. The Riders did a nice PR thing but having Mace speak to season ticket holders and then afterwards pose for pictures with fans. For most long term fans, the hiring of Mace was a good first step, the filling of his staff and then free agency will be the next signposts to regaining the fans trust.

The game playing by the Bombers and Tiger-Cats was interesting as two members of their staff were interviewed for the coaching position before going back to their current teams. Milanovich is reputed to be a bit of a quarterback whisperer working with Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray, but one of the big questions about who would be head coach was who would be taking the assistant coaching positions, particularly on the offensive line.

Milanovich has also done the trip to the NFL several times and I think there may have been a bit of trepidation about whether Milanovich would be another version of Chris Jones, who signed a contract extension and then left the Riders for Cleveland. Milanovich wanted to retain Jason Shivers as a defensive coordinator, but considering how Shiver’s defence burned down over the last third of the 2023 season, that may not have been the best idea.

The whole basis for the Rider changes was to reset the team culture where if players did not perform, they would not see the field, instead of being coddled. The Riders also wanted a person who could sell the Rider brand across the province and Milanovich wanted to bugger off for Florida in the off-season. This did not go over well with a team looking to rebuild its season ticket base and Rider fans like to talk football year round. Hamilton under Bob Young may be financially stable, but one wonders if Young has any idea on how to run a football team. In Hamilton it seems coaches fail upwards into executive positions when they go 25 years without winning a Grey Cup.

So Milanovich not coming to Riderville will probably be a good thing.

In the last few days before the coaching announcement was made in Riderville, Buck Pierce seemed to come out and become the front runner, but a couple of interesting things happened. 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 defence and offensive line and what his ability to attract free agents would be like.

The Bombers whined 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 rumoured to perhaps be coming over to run the Rider defence. The Bombers brought Pierce back into the fold as they push towards a home Grey Cup in two years and Pierce withdrew his name as it became apparent the Riders were going with Mace.

Of course, Whinnerpig being the bastion of self entitlement in the CFL spun this as nobody wants to come to Saskatchewan while everyone wants to stay or come to Winnipeg. Uh Right, the Bombers roster, although still good, is aging like a nice dumpster fire and age may yet catch up with the Bombers before they can make a run at winning a Grey Cup at home, although now they hold the all time Grey Cup losing record, one can’t rule out their ability to lose another Grey Cup or two.

It was different being at Mosaic Stadium and getting excited by someone who was excited to be there. Mace had a nice introduction to Rider fans, and they liked what they saw. However, it is just one of three stages before they season starts, but so far, so good.

by Greg Urbanoski

Will Corey Mace raise the Riders?

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