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Global News
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Global News
Edmonton's Mark Kilam, B.C.'s Buck Pierce to meet in their CFL head-coaching debuts
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. Story continues below advertisement 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. 2:19 Edmonton Elks name Mark Kilam as football team's new head coach Edmonton (7-11) finished fourth in the West Division last season and last made the CFL post-season in 2019. Story continues below advertisement 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. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy '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. Story continues below advertisement 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. 6:09 RAW: Blue Bombers Mike O'Shea Interview – May 23 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. Story continues below advertisement 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. Story continues below advertisement 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.
Vancouver Sun
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
B.C.'s Buck Pierce, Edmonton's Mark Kilam to meet in their CFL head-coaching debuts
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 2006 — 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. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. '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, 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).
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C.'s Buck Pierce, Edmonton's Mark Kilam to meet in their CFL head-coaching debuts
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). Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 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.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Crestwood credentials: Elks coach values infill style, city access
Article content Former Calgary Stampeders assistant head coach Mark Kilam was hired by the Edmonton Elks in late 2024 to reinvigorate the storied Canadian Football League club. The 45-year-old has already made several trades, like Calgary red and white for Edmonton green and gold. The title of assistant for that of head coach. Personally, a suburban existence in Calgary has been sidelined for an inner-city lifestyle in Edmonton's Crestwood community. Article content Article content Article content 'When we lived in Calgary, we lived in a beautiful community called Tuscany. My kids walked to school and Halloween was like Mardi Gras because we would just take over the street. It was awesome, but our kids are now teenagers and we wanted to change up our vibe a bit,' says Kilam, whose family will join him in Edmonton at the end of the school year. 'I lived in the Lansdowne area until Grade 2 and when I attended university I lived off Whyte Avenue, which was a blast.' Article content Article content The one-time linebacker for the University of Alberta Golden Bears and his wife, Andrea, who grew up in St. Albert, had three main requirements for their new Edmonton abode. An inner-city location was first. Crestwood, an intimate mid-century community located east of 149th Street and bounded by the river valley, MacKinnon Ravine and MacKenzie Ravine was an easy choice. The community of about 3,000 people is only minutes west of downtown Edmonton and an easy drive to Commonwealth Stadium. Article content 'It was important to my wife to have space for people to visit us. Obviously, we have a lot of connections in Calgary, who have suddenly become Elks fans overnight,' he says with a smile. 'Now we have space to do that.' Article content Their home, which was the first of eight homes that they viewed in a single-day shopping trip, is a 2,300-square-foot, five-bedroom, two-storey front-garage model with an open concept main floor, finished basement and deck off the dining area. The 1950s-era structure that was once on that particular lot had been torn down and the current home was built in 2017 by what Kilam understands to have been an Italian builder. Article content 'Every appliance in here is Italian. I had to google what all the oven codes meant,' he says. Article content The Kilam's third requirement was access to schools that fit their daughters' interests. The eldest is an academic and it was important she continue her planned course load. The youngest is sports-minded and wanted a basketball community that aligned with her goals.
