Stability is hard to come by in the CFL. In a market like Montreal these past few years, where losing teams and deficient facilities had become the norm, it has proven even more elusive.
But a new era started in this city on Wednesday when Alouettes head coach Jason Maas and general manager Danny Maciocia inked new deals that will keep them together until at least 2026. The general manager has another year on his new contract as well, carrying him into 2027.
Both men could hardly contain their happiness when addressing the media following the announcement, Maciocia in-person at Olympic Stadium and Maas via Zoom an hour later. The head coach had waited a long time to work with Maciocia again and after a Grey Cup win in their first season, he wasn’t about to let the partnership end anytime soon.
“It wasn’t a hard choice to want to come back and keep this thing going. I truly enjoy coming to work every single day,” the 48-year-old told reporters.
When asked about the other reasons he accepted this deal, Maas talked about the city of Montreal and the people he has met along the way. He couldn’t picture himself anywhere else, especially not away from Maciocia, whom he considers family. On Thursday, the Alouettes brought nearly their whole extended clan back, locking in the remainder of what the head coach called a “special” coaching staff.
The roots of that staff were planted by Maciocia before Maas even arrived and he happily adopted, it taking over a team that got to the East Final in 2022. He had a recipe for success and only needed the right ingredients to get the job done.
A year ago, when Maciocia first announced Maas as the team’s new head coach, that seemed nearly impossible. He didn’t know where the team was going, on or off the field. 365 days later, the picture has completely changed. There is not only hope for better days, but higher management can finally realistically talk about playoffs and the Grey Cup contention on a daily basis.
Maciocia had verbally agreed to his own contract extension several days before the announcement but insisted on waiting before going public, seeing it as important that both deals were announced simultaneously.
With his hands free to negotiate other contracts, Maciocia has been active with his pending free agents. A weeklong family vacation to Aruba didn’t even stop that process, as he thanked his wife for her patience and support.
The results have been fruitful. Defensive end Shawn Lemon, linebackers Darnell Sankey and Tyrice Beverette, quarterback Cody Fajardo and receiver Tyson Philpot are just some of the key players who have agreed to extensions over the last few weeks.
Maciocia’s next priority will be the running backs, who are all without contracts. He is aware that he won’t be able to keep all three of William Stanback, Jeshrun Antwi and Walter Fletcher, but is still evaluating his options and talking with agents.
As the process continues, one thing is clear: his and Maas’ commitment to the organization provides a stability that “hasn’t been around here in some time.” It also solidifies Montreal as an attractive destination for players, with the number already signed or extended sending a big message to the whole league.
It is starting to look like Winnipeg, where Mike O’Shea and Kyle Walters implemented a culture that made players want to stay there. The Manitoba team has become the reference point for the rest of the CFL and when you listen to Maciocia and Maas, that’s what they want to emulate in Montreal. They want to keep the nucleus the same while making some useful additions when needed.
So far, that plan is off to a good start.
