Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot and who's not. This week's list includes...
Chris Jones is bringing most of his coaching staff from the Edmonton Eskimos to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Riders’ general manager and vice president of football operations met with the media Wednesday to introduce the new coaching staff. Gone is the entire coaching staff from the 2015 season and in is Jones’ entire coaching staff from the Eskimos except for one.
- Stephen McAdoo as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach
- Craig Dickenson as special teams coordinator
- Jarious Jackson as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator
- Mike Scheper as offensive line coach
- Phillip Lolley as linebackers coach
- Jason Shivers as defensive backs coach
- Ed Philion as defensive line coach
- Craig Davoren as running backs coach and special teams assistant
“(We’re) a group that has fun together,” Jones said. “You know, we never go to work, we have fun everyday, and we make it competitive every day.”
Mike Scheper joins the Green and White as offensive line coach after serving as the Riders’ defensive line coach in 2009 and 2010, while Craig Dickenson is back for his second go around in Saskatchewan as special teams coordinator.
“You see all the same guys that Coach Jones had in Edmonton, (it) says a lot about him,” Dickenson said. “It says also says, I think, a lot about (Saskatchewan). It’s a great place to work, great people to be around. I’m happy to be here.”
Fresh off a Grey Cup win in Edmonton, the coaches are now looking to the players on the Riders’ roster – players like quarterback Darian Durant.
“The things I’ve seen on the field are just, they just impress me so much that I can’t say nothing but good things about it,” said offensive coordinator Stephen McAdoo.
“I feel like Durant already does a lot of great things,” said quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson. “There’s a few things I’m sure we’ll have to work on and we’ll have to look and see what his weaknesses are and make them strengths.”
The only coach from the Eskimos not coming to Riderville is receivers coach Kez McCorvey. Jones expects to fill that spot in the next few weeks.
Jones says he and the coaches will take Christmas off to get ready for free agent camps in the new year.
