B.C.'s Buck Pierce, Edmonton's Mark Kilam to meet in their CFL head-coaching debuts
Edmonton Elks general manager Ed Hervey, left, presents new head coach Mark Kilam with a jersey during a press conference in Edmonton on Monday December 2, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Buck Pierce will make his CFL head-coaching debut in familiar surroundings.
Pierce begins his tenure as B.C.'s head coach Saturday night when the Lions host the Edmonton Elks. Pierce, 43, began his CFL career as a quarterback with the Lions (2005-09) — winning a Grey Cup in '06 — before finishing up as a player with the franchise in 2013.
Saturday's contest will also be Mark Kilam's first as Edmonton's head coach.
Pierce, 43, replaces Rick Campbell, who was fired following the Lions' 9-9 record and early playoff exit in a season Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup. Pierce arrived in B.C. following 10 seasons as an assistant with Winnipeg, helping the Blue Bombers make five straight Grey Cup appearances, winning in 2019 and 2021.
'We've got to continue to grow, continue to teach and we've got to make sure we're able to finish,' Pierce said following B.C.'s 20-19 exhibition loss to Edmonton on Friday night.
Kilam, 46, joined Edmonton after 20 seasons as an assistant with the Calgary, including three Grey Cup-winning teams. Kilam, of Lethbridge, Alta., played collegiately at Alberta (1997-2001) as a linebacker and was hired by the Elks after the Stampeders didn't retain him.
Edmonton (7-11) finished fourth in the West Division last season and last made the CFL post-season in 2019.
The '25 season will be one of change for Edmonton. Since Larry Thompson bought the franchise last August, it has added a new president/CEO (Chris Morris), vice-president of football operations/GM (Ed Hervey) and coaching staff.
'This is a fresh new vibe here,' Kilam said. 'There was a lot of roster turnover, there's been a lot of turnover in the admin side, obviously the coaching staff has been turned over.
'We're the new era of the Double E.'
Winnipeg's Mike O'Shea remains the CFL's longest-tenured head coach. The 54-year-old North Bay, Ont., native — twice the league's coach of the year — enters his 11th campaign on the Blue Bombers sidelines and looks to lead the franchise to a sixth straight Grey Cup appearance as this year's championship contest will be held at Princess Auto Stadium in November.
Winnipeg has become a model of consistency under O'Shea. After missing the playoffs with a combined 12-24 record during O'Shea's first two seasons, the Bombers have posted double-digit victories the last eight and four consecutive first-place finishes.
O'Shea, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2017, has a 107-69-0 regular-season record.
Toronto's Ryan Dinwiddie enters his fifth season with the club. The 44-year-old American has led Argonauts to two Grey Cups (2022, '24), compiling a 46-22 regular-season record.
Toronto has finished atop the East Division three times and posted double-digit victories the last three years under Dinwiddie, the CFL's 2023 coach of the year.
Scott Milanovich, 52, begins his second season as Hamilton's head coach/offensive co-ordinator. The Ticats (7-11) were fourth in East Division last year, missing the playoffs.
This marks Milanovich's seventh CFL regular season as a head coach, having spent time previously with Toronto (2012-16). He has a 50-58-0 regular-season record and was the CFL's coach of the year in 2012, the same year he led the Argos to victory in the 100th Grey Cup at Rogers Centre.
Bob Dyce enters his third full season as Ottawa's head coach. He led the Redblacks to 9-8-1 record and third in East Division for its first playoff appearance since 2018 before dropping a 58-38 semifinal decision to Toronto.
Dyce, 59, of Winnipeg, has a 17-31-1 record with Saskatchewan (3-6) and Ottawa (14-25-1). He won two Grey Cups as an assistant (2013 with Riders, 2016 with Redblacks).
Jason Maas, 52, embarks on his third season as Montreal's head coach. He led the Alouettes to a '23 Grey Cup title and tops in the East Division last season (CFL-best 12-5-1 record) before losing 30-28 to Toronto in the conference final.
Maas, the '24 CFL coach of the year, has a 62-45-1 head-coaching record having previously served with Edmonton (2016-19).
Dave Dickenson, 52, begins his second season as Calgary's GM and ninth as head coach. The Stampeders (5-12-1) missed the CFL playoffs for the first time since '04.
Dickenson has an 84-53-3 regular-season record and led Calgary to an '18 Grey Cup title.
Corey Mace, 39, of Port Moody, B.C., returns for a second season as Saskatchewan's head coach after guiding the Riders (9-8-1) to second in West Division. The club opened the playoffs downing B.C. 28-19 before losing 38-22 to Winnipeg in conference final.
Mace is a three-time Grey Cup champion as a defensive lineman (2014 with Calgary) and coach (assistant with Stamps in 2018, Toronto in 2022).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
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