On Nov. 30, 2023, Corey Mace was named the 48th Head Coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He quickly made his mark on Rider Nation and the province of Saskatchewan.
With Mace at the helm, the Roughriders posted a 9-8-1 record and hosted and won their first home playoff game since 2021. He was named the West Division’s Coach of the Year.
Under Mace in 2024, the Roughriders had nine divisional all-stars and a league-best five All-CFL selections. With Mace serving in a dual role as Defensive Co-ordinator, Saskatchewan sported the league’s best turnover ratio (plus-26) and was second in the league in interceptions (24). As well, Roughriders defensive halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Mace, who is from Port Moody, B.C., attended the University of Wyoming before spending three years (2007 to 2009) as a defensive tackle with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
He joined the Calgary Stampeders near the midpoint of the 2010 CFL season and remained on the roster through the 2015 season. He registered a sack on Zach Collaros in the 2014 Grey Cup Game to help Calgary defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16.
Exceptionally community-minded, Mace was awarded the Stampeders’ Presidents’ Ring in 2015 for exemplary performance on and off the field.
Mace made a seamless transition into coaching, serving as the Stampeders’ Defensive Line Coach from 2016 to 2021. Along the way, he celebrated a second Grey Cup championship (in 2018).
A third title came his way in 2022, capping his first of two seasons as the Toronto Argonauts’ Defensive Co-ordinator. He subsequently helped the 2023 Argonauts post a 16-2 record and tie a long-standing league record for victories in a regular season.
Beyond his talents as a coach and leader of men, Mace has demonstrated a deep appreciation for and understanding of Saskatchewan and its people. Mace, his wife Petra, and their children Maleena (Mah-lee-nah) and Micah (MY-cah) have made Regina their year-round home.
