Montreal’s Jason Maas, Saskatchewan’s Corey Mace lead their teams into Grey Cup

Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes helmets in front of the Grey Cup during the Grey Cup head coaches' media conference in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. The Alouettes and Roughriders are set to to play the 112th Grey Cup on Dec. 16. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

WINNIPEG — Jason Maas and Corey Mace have their teams in the Grey Cup, but say they haven't done it alone.

And the keys to CFL head coaching success for both are very similar.

"Players make a great head coach, that's where you start," Montreal's Maas said Tuesday during the coaches news conference ahead of Sunday's Grey Cup between the Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "Our players are the most important people in our building and to make them feel like that every single day is important.

"They have to come in to an environment that's conducive to learning, where they feel you have their back and will do anything for them. Anybody that walks into our room has to have respect, respect for the organization, respect for the guy next to him and do it for them. That's where it all begins in my opinion."

But it doesn't stop there.

"Then you have to hold them accountable," Maas continued. "They want to be held accountable, you just have to do it in a good way and set standards.

"Head coaches are made by the other coaches throughout the organization. To me it starts with respect, the right people in the building and then compete like hell and play for each other. To me that's a great start."

It's worked for Maas, who has Montreal chasing a second Grey Cup title in three years. The Alouettes rallied to upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in 2023, Maas's first season with the club.

The Roughriders posted a CFL-best 12-6 record in 2025, Mace's second season as head coach. The 39-year-old Port Moody, B.C., native has a 39-21-1 record with the Riders and led them to the playoffs both years on the sidelines.

While Mace used different words to explain what makes a successful CFL head coach, his sentiment mirrors Maas's.

"The easiest way I could put is relationships . . . and how you treat people and everybody in the organization," he said. "Playing off what Jason said, understanding each individual person is completely different.

"Some guys need a stern hand sometimes, but you won't know that unless you have the relationship with the individual to know. If you don't understand how each individual ticks and you don't have that relationship, you're not going to get the best out of these guys."

And getting the best out of players is a head coach's top priority.

"You want it for them, not yourself," Mace said. "So what can you do individually to make sure you can get whatever point across so they can understand and take it in . . . to make it easy, relationships."

Mace is making his first Grey Cup appearance as a head coach. After earning his first championship ring as a player (defensive lineman with Calgary in 2018), he added another two as an assistant (Stampeders defensive line coach in 2018, Toronto Argonauts defensive co-ordinator in 2022).

"As a player you're just so locked in on what's happening for your job and what's happening around you," Mace said. "As a position coach you have a bunch of guys to deal with, as a co-ordinator even more guys and as a head coach ultimately you're responsible for the whole deal.

"I think it changes a little bit but at the end of the day it's turning over every stone possible and making sure that you've got everything covered."

Maas is looking for a second Grey Cup title as Montreal's head coach and fifth overall. He won twice as a quarterback with Edmonton (2003, '05) then as an assistant with Toronto (2012).

Maas's success in Montreal followed being fired as Edmonton's head coach in 2019, then not having his contract as offensive co-ordinator renewed by Saskatchewan in 2022. But Maas said he has no axe to grind with the Riders.

"I'm long past that," he said. "I've found a home, (am) very appreciative of where I currently am and thankful for the people I work with every single day.

"Sometimes things happen for reasons and if this was something I had to go through to land where I have, I'm very grateful and thankful for it."

Maas has also changed his sideline demeanour. Over his four years in Edmonton (2016-19), Maas posted a 39-33 record but often displayed a fiery disposition that led to sideline outbursts.

While Maas's competitive nature with Montreal remains clearly evident, he has been much more controlled on the Alouettes bench.

"Sometimes you can show your emotions and you don't know how that affects your whole team at times," Maas said. "I know when I get emotional I'm in the most control I can possibly be, I can assure you that.

"I think clearly, I think better. I feel like when I played I played better that way, I always looked for those moments. But as a head coach I don't know that I necessarily needed it and I think it could've been a detriment at times for our team."

And if the head coach is preaching discipline to his players, Maas said he has to set the example.

"When I talk about being the most disciplined team in the league, if you want that I better show a little bit more discipline," he said. "That was my biggest self-reflection in all of it.

"If I want a disciplined football team maybe I need to start with me . . . and I feel like it has worked here."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2025.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press