Riders announce coaching, football ops staff

CFL.ca Staff

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to announce its coaching and football operations staff for the 2023 season.

Andre Bolduc – Run game coordinator and running backs coach

Bolduc joins the Roughriders with 22 years of coaching experience, most recently spending nine seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as assistant coach and working with the running backs. In 2021, the Alouettes, anchored by running back William Stanback, led the league in rushing yards with a team total 2,023.

Over his time in Montreal, Bolduc also served as assistant offensive coordinator, receiver coach, as well as special teams assistant coach. Prior to the Alouettes, Bolduc was a successful collegiate level coach spending time with the Université de Montréal, Collège Montmorency and the University of Sherbrooke. The Quebec native also enjoyed a six-year CFL career (1996-2001) with Ottawa, Edmonton and Montreal.

Del Cowsette – Defensive line coach

Cowsette brings 16 years of collegiate coaching to the Roughriders defensive line. He has a strong resume of developing defensive linemen and coaching top performers and all-conference stars. Most recently at the Air Force Academy, Cowsette coached three first-time starters to success on the defensive line, including a senior who flipped from the offensive line and went on to lead the Falcons in tackles for loss and sacks.

Prior to the Air Force, the Ohio native coached at his alma matter, the University of Maryland, the University of Albany, Hampton University and in the UFL, where he helped the Virginia Destroyers win the UFL Championship.

As player, Cowsette was a four-year standout at Maryland (1996-1999) earning first team All-ACC honors and remains 12th all-time in the Maryland record books with 31 tackles for loss. Cowsette was drafted by the Washington Commanders and played for the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears from 2000-2006.

Naaman Roosevelt – Offensive assistant

A familiar face to Rider fans, Roosevelt joins the coaching staff full time after attending 2022 training camp as a guest coach. The popular former receiver spent nearly all of his six-year CFL career in Green and White, suiting up for 67 games between 2015 and 2019. Over that time, he recorded 301 receptions for 4,134 yards and 20 touchdowns and was noted in the locker room for his hard work and discipline.

Prior to the CFL, Roosevelt spent four seasons in the NFL, suiting up for 20 games, earning 396 yards receiving and scoring one touchdown. The Buffalo, NY native played at his hometown school – the University of Buffalo, where he earned 3,551 yards and 28 touchdowns over four seasons and was named All-MAC in 2007 and 2008.

Drew Tate – Receivers coach

After 10 years as a CFL quarterback and three seasons away from the league, Drew Tate returns to the Roughriders as the club’s receivers coach. Since his retirement from the CFL in 2018, Tate has served as a coach in both the collegiate and professional ranks, most recently as the tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa. During the 2021 season, Tate was the quarterbacks coach at UT Martin. He spent the 2020 season as the running backs, receivers and tight ends coach with the Spring League’s Alphas and was the quarterbacks coach for the BC Lions in 2019.

The Texas native is a two-time Grey Cup champion (2007, 2014) and played 147 CFL games completing 410-615 pass attempts for 5,008 yards, 35 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and added 162 carries for 629 yards and 24 touchdowns. An accomplished collegiate quarterback at the University of Iowa, Tate was named the MVP of Capital One Bowl in 2005 and to the All-Big Ten First Team in 2004.

Anthony Vitale – Offensive line coach

Vitale joins the Club with more than 10 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience, most recently spending the 2022 season as the offensive line coach for the Edmonton Elks.

Vitale, however, is no stranger to the Green and White, where he participated as a guest coach at training camp from 2017-2019. Prior to the CFL, he spent one season as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Eastern New Mexico University. He has been a vital part of program turnarounds including at Delaware State (2018-2020), lifting the team from last to second in the MEAC in rushing offence and reducing the number of sacks by 60 per cent from the 2017 season. He also helped improve South Baptist University (2013-2018) over his time there, seeing the team go from 1-10 in 2013 to 10-2 and a national ranking of 17th in 2016.

Defensive coordinator Jason Shivers, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kelly Jeffrey (announced in December 2022), special teams coordinator Kent Maugeri and assistant coaches Deion Melvin and Marcus Klund round out head coach Craig Dickenson’s coaching staff.

The Roughriders’ football operations department will continue under the leadership of vice president of football operations and general manager Jeremy O’Day, with the assistance of AGMs Paul Jones and Kyle Carson.

Jordan Greenly, formerly the manager of football operations, has been promoted to director of football operations, working alongside football operations coordinator Chase Pelletier.

The club welcomed Greg Mayer as its new head athletic therapist this off-season. Mayer was previously the athletic therapist with the Regina Pats, a position he had held since 2004. In addition to having over 1,500 WHL games under his belt, Mayer has served as a trainer with Team Canada in the World Juniors as well as with the Roughriders during training camp.

Manager of equipment Gordon Gilroy, manager of video and analytics Nick Bowley and strength and conditioning trainer Clinton Spencer, alongside their staff, also remain with the club.

Follow CFL