Official: Edmonton Elks hire Jason Shivers as defensive coordinator, finalize coaching staff

The Edmonton Elks have officially hired Jason Shivers to their coaching staff following an eight-year run with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He will serve as the team’s assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach under head coach and general manager Chris Jones.

The 41-year-old played five seasons in the CFL as a defensive back with the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He became a defensive assistant with Toronto in 2013 when Jones was the team’s defensive coordinator and was hired as Edmonton’s defensive backs coach the following year when Jones became the team’s head coach.

Shivers followed Jones to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2016 where he also served as the team’s defensive backs coach. He was promoted to the role of defensive coordinator in 2019 following Jones’ departure for the NFL and held the job for five years.

Saskatchewan’s defence ranked ninth in net offence allowed this past season with an average of 381.3 yards per game. The unit also placed ninth in offensive points allowed (28.3), ninth in offensive touchdowns allowed (51), ninth in sacks (37), and eighth in takeaways (29).

Jarious Jackson has remained Edmonton’s offensive coordinator after taking over the role from Stephen McAdoo partway through last season. He will also serve as the team’s quarterbacks coach.

Receivers coach and pass game coordinator Markus Howell, special teams coordinator Mike Scheper, and strength and conditioning coach Erin Craig have all returned to the Elks from last season. Stephen Sorrells is also back as the club’s offensive line coach, though he has also added the title of run game coordinator.

Defensive backs coach Marcus Klund, defensive line coach Nate O’Neal, running backs coach Albert Poree, and assistant offensive line coach Takoby Cofield are all new to the team.

Klund served as the defensive backs coach with Saskatchewan over the past two seasons. He previously spent 15 years coaching at the high school and collegiate levels, including a nine-year run at Southwest Baptist University where he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and worked with the defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backs.

O’Neal spent the last 10 seasons as the defensive line coach for Under Armour All-America Football. He was also the defensive line coach for the America team at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl and served as an advisor for both teams at the East-West Shrine Bowl in 2022.

Poree spent the past four seasons as the running backs coach with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. The native of New Orleans, La. has also coached at Dartmouth College and Mississippi State University.

Cofield was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, dressing for 15 games along the offensive line. The 32-year-old native of Tarboro, N.C. was previously a member of the Washington Football Team, Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland Raiders.

Brandon Isaac, who was the team’s defensive backs coach this past season, now serves in the same role with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while running backs coach Jordan Linnen is now an assistant with the Roughriders. Demetrious Maxie, who coached Edmonton’s defensive line for the past six seasons, is now with the Toronto Argonauts.