Saskatchewan Roughriders hire former Bombers star Andrew Harris as running backs coach

Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have hired four-time Grey Cup champion Andrew Harris as the team’s running backs coach.

Harris is one of the most decorated Canadian running backs in CFL history, playing 15 seasons in the CFL with the B.C. Lions from 2009 to 2015, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2016 to 2021, and Toronto Argonauts 2022 to 2023, winning Grey Cups in all three places.

Riders’ head coach Corey Mace spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Harris as the two were with the Argos. Harris was teammates with Saskatchewan’s starting running back, A.J. Ouellette for both those years as well.

The five-foot-nine, 215-pound back is the CFL’s all-time leading Canadian rusher, claiming the title in 2019. He retired with 10,380 yards and 51 touchdowns while recording 607 receptions for 5,489 yards and 32 touchdowns. The Winnipeg native is one of six players in CFL history to eclipse the 10,000-yard mark as a rusher and he currently ranks sixth in career rushing in Blue Bombers history with 5,402 yards.

Harris was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2017, lead the league in rushing for four seasons, including three straight from 2017 to 2019, earned Grey Cup Most Outstanding Canadian in 2011 and 2019 and the Grey Cup MVP in 2019. He was named a CFL all-star five times (2012, 2015-2018) and West Division all-star six times (2012, 2015-2019). He won four Grey Cup Championships — one with B.C. in 2011, two with Winnipeg in 2019 and 2021 and one with Toronto in 2022.

Prior to joining the coaching staff, Harris was the director of football operations for the Vancouver Island Raiders in the Canadian Junior Football League, the same team with which he starred as a running back. He won national championships as a Raider in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

The 37-year-old Harris takes the running backs coach role from Anthony Vitale, who will not be able to return to the team for personal reasons. If you want to get to know Harris more, watch his documentary: Running Back Relentless.