Corey Mace, Roughriders announce 2024 coaching staff

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders and head coach Corey Mace have unveiled the team’s 2024 coaching staff, it was announced on Monday.

They join offensive coordinator Marc Mueller and special teams coordinator Kent Maugeri, who were announced in December.

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“I am elated to have our 2024 coaching staff in place — a group that brings hands-on experience as players and coaches alongside championship pedigrees,” said Mace.

“This staff is filled not only with excellent teachers, communicators and leaders, but also with exceptional people. I am looking forward to seeing them implement their knowledge and influence the men who will take the field for the Green and White.”

OFFENCE

EDWIN HARRISON – OFFENSIVE LINE

Former NFL and CFL offensive lineman Edwin Harrison joins the Roughriders as the offensive line coach after spending the last two seasons with the Argonauts. The 39-year-old served as the Argos’ running backs coach and run game coordinator. Under Harrison’s tutelage, the Argos’ running backs powered the team to 2,046 yards on the ground, with 1,000-yard rusher AJ Ouellette leading the way. Ouellette was twice named PFF’s Running Back of the Month (June and August) and he was the Running Back of the Week five times throughout the season (Weeks 2, 3, 8, 9 and 12) en route to becoming an East Division All-Star. Prior to joining the Argonauts’ coaching staff, Harrison was teaching geography while serving as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Marshall High School in a suburb of Houston, Texas. He is a two-time Grey Cup Champion, with the Stampeders (as a player in 2014) and Argonauts (as a coach in 2022).

MARQUAY McDANIEL – RECEIVERS

Star receiver Marquay McDaniel has turned a successful CFL playing career into a successful CFL coaching career and now brings his talents to Saskatchewan. McDaniel accepted his first coaching job as the receivers coach for the McMaster Marauders. He made his CFL coaching debut in 2019 with the Alouettes before returning to Calgary, where he spent seven seasons as a player (2011-17), to coach the receivers. In 2021, the Stamps were one of three teams to have two players to finish in the league’s top 10 in receiving yards. Calgary also had the second-most passing yards (3,847) in the league that year. McDaniel has coached two West Division All-Stars — Kamar Jorden and Malik Henry. As a player, McDaniel suited up for 133 career regular-season games, spending time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2009-11, 2018) and the Stampeders, notching 7,366 yards and 27 touchdowns. Twice a 1,000-yard receiver with Calgary, he was named a CFL All-Star in 2013. He won a Grey Cup with the Stampeders in 2014.

ANTHONY VITALE – RUNNING BACKS

Anthony Vitale remains in Green and White in a new role as the running backs coach after coaching the Roughriders’ offensive line in 2023. In that capacity, Vitale showed great adaptability, with nine different starting combinations lining up last season along the offensive line due to long-term injuries to three starters. Nonetheless, the offensive line helped running back Jamal Morrow reach 907 rushing yards on the season. Vitale brings more than 10 years of professional and collegiate coaching experience, including one season with the Edmonton Elks as the offensive line coach, one season as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Eastern New Mexico State, and three seasons at Delaware State. At Delaware State, he helped improve an offensive unit from last place to second in rushing offence in the MEAC and reduced the number of sacks by 60 per cent from the 2017 season.

DEFENCE

JOSH BELL – PASS GAME COORDINATOR AND DEFENSIVE BACKS

Josh Bell brings six years of coaching experience, a championship pedigree and NFL and CFL experience to lead Saskatchewan’s passing game and defensive backs. Bell’s coaching career began with the Calgary Stampeders (2018-2020) and continued with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 where he spent three the last three seasons. He won Grey Cup championships with both teams. The 38-year-old has coached nine All-Star DBs — including Qwan’tez Stiggers, who was the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie last season. In 2023, the Argonauts were first in the league in interceptions (27), allowed the fewest big plays (30) and allowed the second-fewest offensive points (372). During the 109^th Grey Cup, Bell’s defensive backs helped hold Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros to just 183 yards passing. An exceptional football player in his own right, the California native is both a Grey Cup Champion (Calgary, 2014) and Super Bowl Champion (Green Bay, 2011) and was named a CFL West Division All-Star in 2015.

PHILLIP DANIELS – DEFENSIVE LINE

Phillip Daniels joins the Roughriders after an impressive professional football career, and four years of NFL coaching experience with the Philadelphia Eagles and one year working in player personnel with the Washington Commanders. Daniels joined the Eagles’ coaching staff in 2016 as the assistant defensive line and quality control coach and was promoted to defensive line coach in 2019. That season under Daniels, the Eagles’ defensive line helped the team rank third in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (1,442) and rushing yards allowed per game (90.1). As well, Fletcher Cox was named to the Pro Bowl. Daniels won a Super Bowl with the Eagles to cap the 2017 season. The Georgia native has a wealth of hands-on experience, having suited up for 201 games with the Commanders, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. He registered 516 tackles, 72 tackles for a loss, 62 sacks, 47 pass knockdowns, 14 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries and one interception. Most recently, he coached with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers. He is the father of CFL receiver DeVaris Daniels. 

J.C. SHERRITT – LINEBACKERS AND RUN GAME COORDINATOR

After four seasons as a coach in the NCAA, former CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player J.C. Sherritt returns to Canada as the Roughriders’ linebackers coach. Sherritt spent the 2023 season as a defensive analyst at Washington State, located in the city where he played his high school football, following one season at Auburn. In 2020 and 2021, Sherritt served as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Cal Poly. He previously spent one season (2019) as the Stampeders’ linebackers coach. A tenacious player on the field, Sherritt played 109 career games, registering 528 defensive tackles, 15 sacks, 14 interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) and seven fumble recoveries. In 2012, he was named CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player and a CFL All-Star. He won a Grey Cup Championship with Edmonton in 2015.

JORDAN LINNEN – DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT

Linnen comes to the Roughriders after two years as the running backs coach with the Edmonton Elks. Over the last two seasons, Linnen helped develop Kevin Brown into a premier tailback. Brown finished the 2023 season with 1,149 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Prior to joining the professional coaching ranks, Linnen spent four seasons at Simon Fraser University ​(2018-2021), primarily as their defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He was also a guest coach with the BC Lions in 2019 and coached with the Langley Rams of the British Columbia Football Conference in 2016. As a player, the Surrey, B.C. native spent time with the Lions and Montreal Alouettes and played his college ball at Acadia University (2008-2009) and the University of Manitoba (2013-2014), after playing for the Langley Rams from 2009 to 2012.

SPECIAL TEAMS 

JEFF HIGGINS – ASSISTANT SPECIAL TEAMS

Jeff Higgins enters the CFL with a 20-year coaching history and experience leading young men. He most recently spent time with the Orlando Predators of the Arena League (2019, 2021-22), serving as the head coach (2022) and the strength and conditioning coach, special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach (2019, 2021). He also coached in the FCS Bowl (2020-2023) and the SPIRAL Tropical Bowl. No stranger to the Canadian game, Higgins was a guest coach at four CFL training camps from 2016-19. Deeply invested in football’s grassroots, Higgins spent 17 years as a head coach at the high school level in Florida and New York, including 10 years with Corinth Central School.

 COACHING STAFF