Scott Milanovich holds Chris Jones in high esteem, though it remains unclear why the Tiger-Cats didn’t retain the defensive coach following the 2024 season.
Hamilton hired Jones as a senior defensive consultant in mid-August to replace fired defensive coordinator Mark Washington. The unit showed immediate improvement under his guidance as the Tiger-Cats allowed 27.9 points per game over eight games, 5.5 points fewer than it did under Washington. The team’s record also improved, going 2-8 before the coaching change and 5-3 afterward.
Jones, who was fired as the head coach and general manager of the Edmonton Elks in July amid an 0-5 start, was recently hired as a defensive assistant at the University of North Carolina. Also on staff is Freddie Kitchens, the team’s offensive coordinator, who hired Jones with the Cleveland Browns in 2019. The two men have a long-standing working relationship, including a previous stint together at the University of Alabama.
It’s unclear why Milanovich didn’t bring the 57-year-old native of South Pittsburg, Tenn. back to Steeltown for 2025 as he declined to address the move when addressing the media from the CFL’s recent offseason winter meetings in Charlotte, N.C.
“The specifics of what did or didn’t happen with Chris, I’m not going to get into those,” he said. “What (Jones) was able to do in the last seven weeks of the season with our defence, I thought was outstanding. I’m happy for Chris, he’s closer to home — great opportunity working with Coach Belichick. I still believe he’s one of the greats in our league.”
The Tiger-Cats have since replaced Jones with Brent Monson, who was let go by the Stampeders shortly after last season. Monson took over as Calgary’s defensive coordinator in 2019 after previously winning two Grey Cups with the team, including one as its strength and conditioning coach in 2014 and one as its linebackers coach in 2018.
The 39-year-old native of Hamilton, Ont. has known Ted Goveia, the new general manager of the Tiger-Cats, for many years. Both have ties to the Burlington Braves, though they never officially overlapped with the CJFL team. Monson was also reportedly offered the defensive coordinator position with the Toronto Argonauts earlier this offseason, though the two sides were unable to agree to terms on a contract.
Monson also has a history with Jones, who was the defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and assistant director of player personnel in Calgary during Monson’s first two years with the Stampeders.
“We’re thrilled to have Brent Monson. Actually, Brent Monson came highly recommended by Chris Jones,” said Milanovich. “Teddy has history with him, and it’s great to bring him home. I’ve spent some time with him. I had dinner with him (in Charlotte) and we’re just really excited about where we’re going.”
The Tiger-Cats have plenty of defensive starters who remain set to become free agents on Feb. 11, including defensive lineman Nick Usher and defensive backs Richard Leonard, Jonathan Moxey, and Will Sunderland. Goveia has his first real opportunity to put his stamp on the team’s roster and it appears changes are indeed coming to Steeltown’s defence.
“What Brent is planning on doing, the things that we’ve discussed based around our personnel and the personnel that we hope to get, making some changes defensively, I think Brent is the guy that we want,” said Milanovich. “I’m excited to have him here. We’ll try to get that continuity quickly, but there’s always a little bit of a process.”
The bottom line is that Hamilton’s defence needs to continue to improve and Monson is a strong candidate to set things right. What remains unclear is why Jones wasn’t retained to try to fix it himself, especially given his short-term success in 2024.