LISTEN: Sask. Roughriders coach Corey Mace looks back on championship year

The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup for the fifth time on Sunday, with head coach Corey Mace leading the charge.

On Monday, the Riders were back home, hoisting the CFL’s top prize in front of cheering fans outside Regina’s Mosaic Stadium. The Riders were welcomed back with a celebratory parade on Tuesday, where players and coaches rode in military vehicles down Albert Street. The street was lined with fans who gathered at the Legislative Building’s steps to hear speeches from Mace and quarterback Trevor Harris.

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Mace told the crowd the team worked hard to earn the championship, and Harris said the fans kept him motivated throughout the season.

“Since training camp, we wanted to make sure that we put out a product that represents you, the people of Saskatchewan,” Mace said from the building’s balcony. “Work hard, play hard, and f–king win hard.”

The Riders previously won the championship in 1966, 1989, 2007 and 2013.

On Thursday morning, Mace joined the Evan Bray Show to look back on the successful season and discuss what lies ahead for the Roughriders.

Head Coach Corey Mace and Riders hoist the cup in front of the Legislative Building and Rider Nation. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Listen to the full interview with Mace, or read the transcript below:

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity:

Bray: We have been talking about it pretty much nonstop now for the last few days, after 12 long years, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have something to cheer about. We brought the Grey Cup back home. I say we. Isn’t that so typical of us in Saskatchewan? “We” won the Grey Cup, because that’s the feeling in the province. It is about we. But there were some instrumental leaders that made that happen. Of course the team on the field, and let’s not talk forget to talk about the importance of Corey Mace, head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who we’ve caught up with live this morning. Coach Mace, thank you for giving us some time.

Corey Mace: Appreciate you. You’re not wrong, baby. That was a “we” thing.

How are you feeling? I understand you’re on dad duty this morning.

Mace: Back to it. Had to go drop off my son at daycare. Going to head to the office here in a bit. Just time with the family is pretty sweet, but having them be a part of everything, obviously, is incredible, too.

Coach it’s been two short years, and I’m going to say short years that you’ve been in our province and coaching our Saskatchewan Roughriders. Last year was a great season. How did this season feel different to you? I’m not talking about the Grey Cup victory. I’m talking about through the season. Can you put your finger on anything that felt different?

Mace: It’s a good question. Trevor and I sat down. We had a good conversation yesterday, We were were in alignment. It felt like what we anticipated. From a culture standpoint, and what the expectations were in the room and in this facility, it controlled itself. It was hands off. Obviously as staff, captains and leaders in the locker room, you’re always you’re stepping in when you when you need to. The culture ran itself, and the confidence and the conviction in what we understood our assignment to be this year as a group, man, it was unwavering. So I thought that was really, really cool. You kind of got a glimpse of it in the ’24 season of just how quickly everybody was buying into to what our expectations are, but to see throughout the ’25 season, nothing really much had to be added to that. It was just understood. That was excellent.

I know, coach Mace, that when you were interviewing for this job as head coach here, Jeremy O’Day would have talked to you about expectations, and it wouldn’t be just one bullet point: win the Grey Cup. How were the expectations that were set out for you, or maybe the goals you had, instrumental in leading to this Grey Cup?

Mace: It’s easy blanket statement: win the Grey Cup. I tie it into a little bit of correlation, into one of our slogans, which is “Be exactly who you expect to be.” Everybody expects to do great things for themselves, like winning a Grey Cup, but when you see the receipt and the cost of what it that takes, some people don’t want to put pay the price for that. There’s a lot of work that goes into that. This group understands the workmanship and the price that needs to be paid, and whatever those tolls look like for us as a team, to be exactly who we expect to be, which is to be Grey Cup champions. They were all in eight o’clock, in overtime, whatever that looked like for us to get that accomplished, the process and the culture and what we are. I feel like we’re like the people of Saskatchewan: no matter the circumstances, we’re going to work our tails off. And we like the process and we know what the end goal will look like if we continue that.

Love the analogy. Coach Mace is our guest, head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Corey, you’ve been part of four Grey Cup winning teams as a player and on coaching staff. I’m not going to ask you to rank them, but what feels different about this one?

Mace: I would just say this one was so special. I think once you become a coach, you’re more selfless. You know the players. Especially your first one, you’re just so excited to finally get over that hump. And then when you become a coach, you see the work that other people do and you want that for them. I just understood what this would mean for the people of this province, for everybody who’s been working their tails off for 12 years in that organization, where every year you feel like “Hey, this is our team.” The amount that everybody else that talks Riders football, day in and day out, 365 days, I understood how important that would be. It was emotional for me personally, and for a lot of guys, just because we understand what this team means to this province. And that’s a selfless group of guys.

I’m just going to step away from Grey Cup for a second, because earlier this week TSN CFL analyst, Luke Wilson had Marshawn Lynch on his podcast. Marshawn, as I know you’ve heard and it’s gotten back to you, had props for you. He called you a different breed of Canadian. Can you talk about your your friendship, your connection with him?

Mace: Marshawn and I were the same, I say draft class, but to be clear I was not drafted in that class. I was an undrafted kid in 2007, so the bottom of the totem pole. He was our first-round pick, but we clicked very early because we were the two youngest. I was 21 and he was 20, so we hung out often, all the time. We spent some good years together in Buffalo, and we’ve kept in touch ever since, making trips out to Seattle when he was there, and catching games my wife and I, meeting up with him in Canada a couple of times he’s come up. We just keep in touch. Marshawn is a good friend of mine, one of my favourite teammates I ever had. Would give you the shirt off his back, all things that people don’t know because they only see what they see in the media. Unbelievable human being. He gives so much back to his people, his community. Love that guy.

I don’t want to pry, but he said he missed a call from you like the day before the Grey Cup. Were you just wanting to make sure he was tuning in to watch you guys win?

Mace: No. What was actually happening is coach Travis Brown and myself, we were looking at maybe third downs or something for Montreal, and coach Travis (was) playing a song from one of the artists that Marshawn used to listen to. It was a throwback song, which made me think of him, so (I thought) let me call him real quick, but he missed it, and then we ended up FaceTiming during the during the parade. But that’s just kind of how our relationship is. We think of something, we’ll just go FaceTime each other.

I know that we heard lots of discussions about one more year with relation to Trevor Harris. It happened from fans during the parade. It happened from players on the team. I’m not sure, but I feel like you were chanting it at one time. Can you give us your thoughts on Trevor?

Mace: (Offensive co-ordinator) Marc Mueller has a saying in our building. He said “Trevor forever.” You know, we laugh about that, but look, he’s an incredible quarterback. He’s a great leader. Obviously I’ve been very open about my thoughts on Trevor as as a person and as our quarterback. If he wants to play, then obviously we’ll sit down and try to find a way to make that work. We would all love that, but as I’ve said in last couple days, I love that guy and I care for the things that are important to him, and his family is everything to him. So we’re giving him the time to sit down and talk with his wife and talk with his kids about what makes sense for him and his family. That’s ultimately the number-one thing for us as an organization as well. But if they’re they’re on board to run it back, that would be lovely.

I know you’ve signed a contract extension through at least 2028. How do we keep the momentum going? Rider fans won’t want to wait a decade or more to win another Grey Cup. What’s the plan going forward?

Mace: I think that’s just kind of the beauty what’s been built here. Like I said, these guys all understand. They love the process of finding ways to just be the best version of who we are. If you retain a bunch of the core guys, they know what that’s supposed to look like, and you won’t settle for anything. So it’s fun when that’s the culture. You’re going to continue to push to just be better each week.

Corey, we’ve made it through this whole interview. I didn’t have to censor you once. You did good. I think you responded to that yesterday. Lots of excitement and emotion comes out after months of working towards a goal and then achieving it, but just blowing off a little bit of steam, clearly, you and the team enjoying yourselves at the parade yesterday?

Mace: Oh yeah, absolutely, and I have heard. And again, I’ve slowly trickled back just to interact with a couple fans on social media, so I actually didn’t hear a ton about it. But look, John Schneider in the locker room at the Blue Jays was raw emotion. Loved it. In sports, we’re getting a lot more access in the locker room. There’s some cursing that happens, but that’s raw emotion. And truthfully, our team, for this community, and what we do in supporting youth and mental-health education? We’re head-and-shoulders above any other team in the league about how much we care for the people. I hope everybody can understand and you still love us. Don’t we love Riders, baby?

We love the Riders, coach. We appreciate what you have done with this club. You’ll point fingers and give credit all around the club, as I know you would and any good leader would. We appreciate what you’ve brought, that you’ve made this province your home, and as much as you’re just taking a bit of a breath now, we’re pumped and excited for next year.

Mace: Thank you so much, Evan, for obviously all that you do for the team and, ultimately, the province. You help spread the word. You’re keeping football thriving here. Saskatchewan, whether you know it or not, a kid from Vancouver who’s lived around the country, this place is so special, and I think you know it. I’m so proud to be a representation of your team and, ultimately, a member of our community.

—with files from The Canadian Press