EDMONTON — A day after Wednesday’s initial report, the Edmonton Eskimos confirmed Thursday that Jason Maas will return as the team’s head coach in 2019 for a third season.
The club also announced that four members of its coaching staff will not return to the coaching staff in offensive quality controller Kelly Bates, special teams coordinator Dave Jackson, receivers coach DJ McCarthy and defensive quality controller Rob Payne.
The Eskimos are coming off a 9-9 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
“Brock and I sat down and digested everything for about eight hours, and at the end of it, we came to the conclusion that I am going to go forward and coach the team,” Maas said Wednesday on the ‘Esks Coaches Show’ on 630 CHED.
“I’m happy for that, I wanted to do that and I am excited about it.”
Maas also stated that there was a chance he would relinquish the offensive coordinator duties.
“I’ll take some time to divulge that information later, but definitely it is something that I am leaning towards,” he said. “I think promoting from within is what I will do.”
With Maas returning, the attention this off-season shifts solely on pending free agent quarterback Mike Reilly as the Esks look to rebound from a forgettable 2018 campaign.
