The Edmonton Elks have named Ed Hervey their new vice president of football operations and general manager.
The 51-year-old Houston, Texas native previously served as the GM in Edmonton from 2013 to 2016, winning a Grey Cup in his third season. The Green and Gold went 40-32 during his tenure but he was fired only 18 months after winning a championship.
Hervey became the B.C. Lions GM in December 2017 and served two seasons in the role, posting a 14-22 record. He resigned from the post due to personal reasons, though it came to light one month later that he’d signed franchise quarterback Michael Reilly to a contract that included paperwork that wasn’t filed with the league.
The former receiver, who spent six years working in Edmonton’s personnel department prior to becoming general manager, spent the last three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was an assistant general manager in 2022 and 2023 prior to receiving a promotion to general manager in 2024. The Ticats went 7-11 this past season and missed the playoffs.
The Elks recently hired Chris Morris away from the University of Alberta to become the franchise’s president under new owner Larry Thompson, who bought the team in August.
Chris Jones was fired as the team’s head coach that same month following an 0-5 start with Jarious Jackson being named the interim head coach and Geroy Simon being named the interim general manager.
In his introductory press conference, Morris declared that the “revolving door is over” in Edmonton, criticizing the organization’s lack of continuity in recent years. As such, it appears Hervey should have free reign to build a winner in the City of Champions.
“Ed embodies the core values that I’m looking for in Edmonton,” said Morris in a statement. “He’s a man with a tremendous amount of integrity, who believes in consistency and continuity. He brings a wealth of experience working as a general manager in this league, but also understands the importance of innovating as we strive to be Grey Cup champions.”
“I’m excited about the opportunity to work with Chris, a former teammate and someone who I respect and admire tremendously,” said Hervey. “I can’t ask for a better opportunity to come back to. Above everything else, Edmonton is home. When home calls, you answer it.”
