With a new season around the corner, the Saskatchewan Roughriders continue to collect hardware from last season. At last night’s C-F-L’s Coach of the Year celebration, the Riders were named winners of the inaugural Ted Goveia Football Operations award, plus head coach Corey Mace was named Coach of the Year. The Ted Goveia Football Operations award honours a club’s football operations department for excellence in scouting, player identification, roster building, and leadership. The award is named after the late Ted Goveia, former G-M of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who passed away last summer after a battle with cancer. In addition, Coach of the Year honours went to Corey Mace after leading the green and white to the franchise’s fifth Grey Cup in Mace’s second season. He led the team to a 12-and-6 record, a league best. Among league rankings, the Roughriders were first in fewest points allowed, rushing defence, opponent yards per rush, and kickoff return average, and second in net offence. Mace was recognized earlier in the offseason with the West Division’s top coach for a second straight year. Following are the two news releases from the Riders…..
DATE: March 25, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-55
ROUGHRIDERS WIN INAUGURAL TED GOVEIA FOOTBALL OPERATIONS AWARD
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are honoured to be named the inaugural recipient of the Ted Goveia Football Operations Award.
Presented Wednesday night in Edmonton as part of the CFL’s Coach of the Year celebration, the award honours a club’s football operations department for excellence in scouting, player identification, roster building and leadership. In keeping with Ted Goveia’s belief that teams are built collectively, the award recognizes a full department rather than an individual.
That collective effort was on full display in 2025 when the Roughriders’ Football Operations department assembled a championship roster that captured the Grey Cup on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg. The Roughriders finished the season with the CFL’s best record at 12-6 and secured the fifth title in franchise history.
Led by Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day, the Roughriders’ Football Operations Department also includes Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel Kyle Carson, Assistant General Manager Paul Jones, Director of Football Operations Jordan Greenly and Assistant Director of Player Personnel Larry Dean. The Player Personnel department is strongly supported by the hard work of the coaching staff, as well as the equipment, video analytics and health and medical staff.
“This is a proud moment for our organization and for Rider Nation,” said Roughriders President and CEO Craig Reynolds. “It recognizes the countless hours of hard work, preparation and belief required to assemble a professional football roster that can withstand adversity, finish atop the league and ultimately deliver a Grey Cup Championship. Being recognized in this way by peers across the league makes it especially meaningful. It reflects the high standard this group has set and the pride they take in representing our team, our fans and our province.”
The Roughriders led the CFL with nine All-CFL selections: Jacob Brammer, Tevaughn Campbell, Logan Ferland, Jermarcus Hardrick, KeeSean Johnson, Micah Johnson, Rolan Milligan Jr., C.J. Reavis and Jameer Thurman.
Hardrick was named the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, following Ferland’s nomination as the West Division’s finalist in 2024. Together, they anchored an offensive line that helped A.J. Ouellette rush for 1,222 yards — second in the CFL — while providing elite protection for quarterback Trevor Harris, who was not sacked in either the Western Final or the Grey Cup.
Harris led the league in completion percentage (73.6) and capped the season with a Grey Cup MVP performance, setting a championship-game record with an 85.2 completion rate. Samuel Emilus earned Most Valuable Canadian honours in the Grey Cup after a 10-catch, 108-yard performance.
Key additions in 2025 also played a major role in the team’s success.
Campbell delivered an All-CFL season at cornerback after signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent, tying for the league lead with six interceptions while adding a league-best 205 interception-return yards.
Along the defensive line, Mike Rose, signed in February, started all 17 games, forming a dominant presence with Micah Johnson while extending his streak to five straight seasons with six or more sacks.
Rookie Payton Collins stepped into 12 starts and earned the team’s Rookie of the Year honours, while first-round draft pick Ali Saad made an immediate impact, playing all 18 games and contributing along the defensive front.
Saskatchewan’s depth proved critical throughout the season, with 11 different offensive linemen and 10 different receivers starting games, underscoring the strength and preparation of the roster.
With just over a month remaining before the Grey Cup, President and CEO Craig Reynolds extended O’Day through the 2028 season. O’Day, in turn, extended Head Coach Corey Mace through the same timeframe.
The Ted Goveia Football Operations Award is voted on by the football operations departments of all nine CFL clubs. Goveia, a respected leader in the Canadian football community, spent more than a decade in player personnel roles with Toronto, Winnipeg and Hamilton, winning three Grey Cups over his career.
DATE: March 25, 2026
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR26-56
ROUGHRIDERS’ COREY MACE IS THE CFL’S COACH OF THE YEAR
The Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club is proud to announce that Head Coach Corey Mace has been named the Canadian Football League’s Coach of the Year following a Grey Cup championship season.
Mace led the Roughriders to the title in 2025, becoming just the fifth head coach in franchise history to guide the Club to a championship. The victory capped a remarkable season that saw Saskatchewan finish 12-6 and first overall in the CFL, establishing itself as one of the league’s most complete teams.
“Corey leads with authenticity, consistency and a clear understanding of not only the team, but also the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization and our community,” said Roughriders Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day. “From day one, he dedicated himself to bringing the Club its fifth Grey Cup championship, building strong relationships with our players and creating an environment where they can succeed. He’s been outstanding for our organization and a key part of our success.”
Under Mace’s leadership, the Roughriders excelled in all three phases of the game, finishing first in: victories (12), fewest points allowed (346), rushing defence (76.0 yards allowed per game), opponent yards per rush (4.6), average time of possession (31:47) and kickoff return average (24.9).
The Club also ranked second in net offence (382.6 yards per game), passing efficiency (105.5), fewest sacks allowed (26) and interceptions (24), while placing in the top three across a wide range of key offensive and defensive categories.
Mace’s 2025 campaign built on the strong foundation established in his first season with the Club, as his “go 1-and-0” mindset and family-first culture have helped shape a resilient and connected team identity that has resonated across Rider Nation.
In recognition of his leadership, Mace was named the West Division’s top coach for the second consecutive season, earning the division’s nomination for the league-wide honour in each of his first two years as a head coach.
Through two seasons, Mace has led the Roughriders to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a first-place finish and Grey Cup championship in 2025.
A Grey Cup champion as a head coach in 2025, Mace is now a four-time Grey Cup champion overall. He previously won as the defensive coordinator of the Toronto Argonauts in 2022 and with the Calgary Stampeders as both a player (2014) and coach (2018).
The Vancouver, B.C. native joined the Roughriders after two seasons (2022–23) as defensive coordinator in Toronto, where he led one of the league’s top defences. Prior to that, he spent six seasons (2016–21) as defensive line coach with Calgary following the conclusion of his playing career. As a player, Mace appeared in 40 games with the Stampeders after three seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills.
