Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace speaks during a end-of-season media availability in Regina, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

By The Canadian Press

Roughriders’ Corey Mace captures CFL’s coach of the year award

Mar 25, 2026 | 8:25 PM

EDMONTON — A 2025 season to remember just became even more memorable for Corey Mace.

The 40-year-old native of Port Moody, B.C., was named the CFL’s coach of the year for the first time Wednesday.

The honour followed Mace earning his first Grey Cup title as a head coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ 25-17 win over the Montreal Alouettes in November.

Montreal’s Jason Maas was the award finalist. He won it in 2024, with Mace being the runner-up.

The Riders also received the inaugural Ted Goveia Football Operations Award, which recognizes a club’s football operations department for outstanding achievement in scouting, player identification, roster building and leadership.

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Goveia, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats general manager, died in September at the age of 55 after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Hamilton businessman Ron Foxcroft received the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award.

Mace guided the Riders to a CFL-best 12-6 regular-season record in his second year as the club’s head coach. Saskatchewan finished the season allowing the fewest points (22.7 per game) and rushing yards (76 per game) while registering the second-best net offence (382.6 yards per game).

Mace led the Riders to just the fifth CFL championship in their history.

Voting for the award was conducted by members of the Football Reporters of Canada and nine CFL head coaches.

Mace received 39 of the 53 completed ballots and becomes the eighth Saskatchewan coach to earn the honour. He is the first since Chris Jones in 2018.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

The Canadian Press