On Tuesday, Jason Maas announced his staff for year three as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos and it is not all that different from years one and two.
Since arriving in Edmonton to coach the Eskimos in 2016, Maas has had to replace only two coaches since naming his original staff.
“I feel like I hired great people to begin with – guys that can do their jobs and guys that I got along with and guys that are team-first guys who work hard,” said Maas, who is going into his seventh season as a CFL coach, his third as a head coach.
“It’s important to keep guys on your staff and work with them – everyone gets better every year.
“I feel very close to our staff and I feel like we have forged a great relationship and I hate lose the two guys that we lost, but we took time to hire the next two guys and we still have lots of continuity on our staff and that’s important.”
Offensive coordinator and receivers coach Carson Walch and defensive line coach Casey Creehan both left this off-season. Walch joined the staff of the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles and Creehan took a position at Lyon College in Arkansas as head coach and associate athletic director.
The best words to describe the Eskimos coaching staff since Maas’ arrival may be successful and consistent. There’s been very little turnover, and 24 wins including the playoffs. Only Dave Dickenson’s staff in Calgary with 30 has won more than the Eskimos in the last two seasons.
Maas was head coach and offensive coordinator in 2016 and will return to that role in 2018, replacing Walch.
Including the head coach, 10 members of the coaching staff return from last season and nine will be entering their third season with the Eskimos. That list includes defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Benevides and special teams coordinator Cory McDiarmid.
A couple of returning coaches will change roles. Demetrious Maxie moves from linebackers coach to working with the defensive line – replacing Creehan – while Benevides adds linebackers to his responsibilities.
Jordan Maksymic will add pass game coordinator to his duties, as quarterbacks coach and Rob Payne is now defensive quality control coach after doing the same duties on the offensive side of the ball last year.
Former Lion, Rider, Bomber and Eskimo Kelly Bates is one of three new members of the staff. Bates, who was an assistant with the B.C. Lions and head coach of Simon Fraser University for two seasons, is the new offensive quality control coach.
Also new to the team for 2018 are DJ McCarthy as receivers coach and Travis Brown as assistant linebackers coach.
LISTEN: Esks head coach Jason Maas on the 2018 coaching staff
Eskimos coaching staff for 2018
- Jason Maas – head coach/offensive coordinator
- Mike Benevides – assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers
- Mike Gibson – offensive line/run game coordinator
- Jordan Maksymic – quarterbacks/pass game coordinator
- Cory McDiarmid – special teams coordinator
- Tim Prinsen – running backs
- DJ McCarthy – wide receivers
- Barron Miles – defensive backs and player development
- Demetrious Maxie – defensive line
- Travis Brown – linebackers assistant
- Dave Jackson – special teams assistant
- Kelly Bates – offensive quality control
- Rob Payne – defensive quality control