The Edmonton Elks have their president and they have their general manager. Now, they need to find their head coach.
Newly hired (or re-hired?) GM Ed Hervey has set no firm deadline for the hiring of a permanent bench boss to replace Chris Jones, who was fired five games into last season. However, interviews with top candidates have already been arranged and the rumour mill has whittled down the top contenders.
After a 7-11 finish last year, there is a glimmer of hope in the former City of Champions, but four seasons without a playoff game has wreaked havoc on attendance. Hervey has made clear that the next coach of the team will have to be a “grown-up” with a steady hand and clear expectations to build a contender from the ground up.
Here are six names who could be in the running to become the 25th head coach of the Edmonton Elks.
Rick Campbell, Free Agent
Last job: Head coach and co-general manager (B.C.)
If you were wondering why this list is so short, blame the runaway favourite to be handed the keys in Edmonton. Despite being fired last week by the Lions, Campbell checks all the boxes the Elks are looking for. The 53-year-old is a former Grey Cup winner who has rebuilt two losing teams into contenders and has qualified for the postseason in seven of his 10 seasons as a CFL head coach. He is also the son of Hugh Campbell, Edmonton’s greatest-ever coach and executive and the man most often credited for establishing the so-called “Eskimo Way” that this regime wants to bring back. The connections seem too powerful to turn down, especially when you add in the fact that Campbell spent his formative years in the city, cut his teeth as an assistant with the team, and was the last head coach hired by Hervey when he was the GM in B.C.
Mark Kilam, Free Agent
Last job: Special teams coordinator and assistant head coach (Calgary)
Kilam found himself scapegoated by the Stampeders’ organization after a last-place finish in 2024, but that hasn’t diminished his status in the eyes of former players and future hiring committees. The longtime special teams coordinator has a fiery personality and a unique gravitas that has allowed him to get the best out of players from every position group — exactly the type of skillset you want in a head coach. The Lethbridge, Alta. native was very nearly hired by the Elks the last time they had an opening and probably should have been. That wrong could be righted now that he’s been cast out from underneath Dave Dickenson’s shadow.
Jordan Maksymic, B.C. Lions
Current job: Offensive coordinator
The Lions’ late-season struggles have sullied his reputation somewhat but Maksymic is still widely regarded as the CFL’s offensive wunderkind. The 37-year-old has been responsible for explosive passing seasons from the likes of Michael Reilly, Nathan Rourke, and Vernon Adams Jr. during his short CFL career and could help get the best out of Tre Ford — or whatever other QB the Elks opt to sign. Maksymic was raised in the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert and the Green and Gold’s former play-caller returning to his hometown team in the top job is a story the marketing department can sell. However, you may not need to make him the head coach to get him, as there is a strong possibility that Maksymic would follow Campbell to Edmonton as a coordinator.
Noel Thorpe, Montreal Alouettes
Current job: Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach
Despite hailing from Vancouver, B.C., Thorpe’s CFL career has essentially been one continuous game of ping-pong between Montreal and Edmonton (with one brief foray to Ottawa notwithstanding). The 54-year-old was in his second stint with the team back in 2021 when he was unceremoniously cast aside to make room for the incoming Chris Jones. Since then, he’s gone on to become the architect of one of the CFL’s best defences and helped capture a Grey Cup in 2023. While Thorpe has a pretty good gig with Alouettes and his buddy Jason Maas, his physical, attacking style of defence could be attractive for Edmonton and Hervey was involved in an unsuccessful effort to poach him once before in 2016.
Buck Pierce, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Current job: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
The seemingly pre-determined nature of the coaching search in Edmonton put this list in the awkward position of tacking on one of the consensus best prospects like an afterthought. Setting their latest performance aside, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been an offensive juggernaut since Pierce took over as play-caller in 2020 and his presence has been a big part of five straight Grey Cup appearances. He also played a key role in transforming Zach Collaros into a two-time M.O.P. and developing Dru Brown into a starting QB. While the fact that Pierce never played in Edmonton might hurt him in the eyes of a regime eager to bring back the past, his toughness as a player certainly fits with their organizational philosophy.
Jarious Jackson, Edmonton Elks
Current job: Interim head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach
When the Elks decided not to keep interim GM Geroy Simon, it also felt like a death blow for Jackson’s chances to be the permanent head coach. However, he’ll likely still get a chance to interview and has made a solid case for himself on paper. With a 7-6 record down the stretch, he is the first Elks’ coach to be above .500 in a season since Jason Maas in 2017. The offence also seemed to respond over the latter half of the year, with a multi-faceted rushing attack opening up opportunities down the field.
