Former B.C. Lions GM Ed Hervey eyeing CFL Director of Global Scouting job: report

Photo courtesy: CFL

On the morning of the first ever CFL Global Draft, a notable CFL name is looking to get more involved in the program.

According to a report by Postmedia’s Dan Barnes, recently resigned B.C. Lions general manager Ed Hervey has interest in returning to the league as the CFL’s Director of Global Scouting.

The role was held by Greg Quick during the 2020 and 2021 cycle. Quick recently vacated the role to take a coaching job with the Montreal Alouettes.

“First and foremost I have a real affection for the CFL and the efforts being made by the CFL to expand and grow from the grassroots level all the way up to the international stage,” Hervey said Tuesday.

“Right or wrong, I’m a big outside-the-box thinker. I believe that’s the type of vision you need to have. We can no longer feel that the only source of players is in North America. We have to believe and know that football has expanded beyond our borders and we have to be willing to go find those players. I have a belief in the broader vision of what the league is trying to accomplish with this initiative.”

Hervey spent his entire eight-year CFL playing career (1999-2006) with the Edmonton Football Team, winning two Grey Cups in 2003 and 2005. He recorded 476 catches for 6,715 yards and 43 touchdowns in 118 games. He then became a scout for Edmonton and ascended to the general manager position.

Edmonton went 4-14 in the first season with Hervey as general manager but he turned the team around, going 36-18 from 2014-2016. Edmonton made it to the division final round in each of those seasons and won a Grey Cup in 2015 with Reilly leading the way at QB.

The 47-year-old was out of football for the 2017 season after being let go by Edmonton in a surprising move. He had discussions with a few CFL teams and eventually joined the Lions.

The CFL isn’t rushing to find Greg Quick’s replacement but Hervey could have the qualifications they want for the future of the Global program.

“I’d like someone who understands the global initiative because I think that’s important for the next step,” said CFL head of football operations Greg Dick, the man in charge of the search.

“If you just worked in the United States, you may not think that way. You may have a more closed-minded viewpoint of what football is going to look like in the future. So that will be important.”

Hervey inked franchise quarterback Mike Reilly to a lucrative four-year agreement with the Lions worth $2.9 million during free agency in February, but that didn’t translate into wins. B.C.’s first season without Wally Buono since 2003 saw the team miss the playoffs at 5-13.

Hervey resigned from his GM post suddenly in October. The consensus conjecture around the CFL was that Hervey had been forced out by the Lions after an undisclosed guaranteed money clause in the contract of star passer Mike Reilly came to be known following the cancellation of the 2020 season, but that hasn’t been substantiated.

Reilly filed a grievance against the Lions with the CFLPA  but came to a contract settlement approximately three months later. The veteran QB received the $250,000 which had been signed and agreed upon by both the team and player in February 2019.

The situation leaves the Grey Cup winning GM available for the Global position, along with other notable names like Eric Tillman. That is something that intrigues the league.

“It will be interesting when we look at this next group of candidates. I actually think ex-general managers could be good or ex-football operations people would be good as well. They may not have been scouts but they have obviously scouted,” Dick added.