Edmonton – The Edmonton Eskimos have hired Chris Jones as the 20th head coach in franchise history.
“Wow. I’m tremendously excited about being here. The opportunity to be at the forefront of an organization like the Edmonton Eskimos, it’s an extreme, extreme honour,” Jones said Wednesday morning while addressing the media.
Jones has spent the pat two seasons as the Toronto Argonauts defensive coordinator, assistant head coach and assistant general manager.
“Chris Jones has paid his dues in the Canadian Football League and has earned this opportunity. His commitment to the league and record of success is impressive. I look forward to working with him,” said Eskimos General Manager Ed Hervey.
Jones has spent 12 years in the CFL. During his time in the league he’s been to seven division finals, six Grey Cup games with Montreal, Calgary and Toronto, winning the Grey Cup in 2002, 2008, 2012.
“Coach Jones has a proven track record in the CFL,” said Eskimos kicker Grant Shaw. “From a players perspective, it’s super exciting.”
“This is a very exciting day for our organization,” added Eskimos long snapper Ryan King. “I woke up this morning, heard it was Chris Jones and I was very pumped up. I think it’s a perfect pick for the job.”
Jones says he’s always dreamed of being a head coach, and is very humbled by the opportunity he’s been given.
“I’m from a very small, little town called South Pittsburg, Tennessee, which is down on the Alabama-Tennessee line. And there’s a lot of blue collar folks down there that work extremely hard for their money, and that’s what you can expect from me as your head coach,” Jones explained. “I’m going to work. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that we’re prepared… and all the decisions that will be made, will be made in order to try to secure a Grey Cup Championship. That’s my goal.”
WATCH: Gord Steinke speaks with the Eskimos’ new head coach Chris Jones
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