Riders’ Trevor Harris credits Ticats’ Scott Milanovich for teaching him to play quarterback

Photo: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography / 3DownNation. All rights reserved.

Scott Milanovich may stand on the Tiger-Cats’ sideline, but he’ll be able to take partial credit no matter which team wins Sunday’s matchup between Saskatchewan and Hamilton.

The 53-year-old head coach was a seminal figure in the development of Riders’ quarterback Trevor Harris, helping to turn the Division II standout into a future Grey Cup MVP.

“I feel like Scott taught me how to play the position,” Harris told the Regina media on Saturday. “I was taught really well by my coordinator and head coach in college, but in terms of refining myself as a quarterback, understanding the nuances of the position and certain demeanours and stuff. Learning from Ricky (Ray) early in my career, just watching him on the day-to-day, listening to how Scott talked to him, and just trying to learn through osmosis through their relationship and listen to them talk ball and watching them prepare.”

Harris and Milanovich spent four seasons together with the Toronto Argonauts. They both joined the organization in 2012, a raw rookie quarterback and a first-time head coach, capping their inaugural campaign with a Grey Cup victory.

After spending his early years developing as a backup behind a future Hall of Famer in Ray, Harris rose through the ranks and started the majority of games for Toronto during his final season in 2015. His performance that year would foreshadow an outstanding CFL career that has since included stops with four other organizations. Milanovich was the one who made it possible.

“He was very hard on me earlier in my career, and I think that helped me quite a bit. Really taught me how to play the position in terms of listening to my feet, trusting my progressions and whatnot, and managing situations and games,” Harris explained, drawing comparisons to his current situation in Saskatchewan.

“I’ve taken a lot from Scott, and as I’ve kind of built here, I feel like (offensive coordinator Marc Mueller) has kind of done the same for me.”

The 40-year-old will celebrate his 200th career CFL appearance on Sunday, according to Roughriders historian Rob Vanstone. He’s playing some of his best football, is coming off his first Grey Cup win as a starter, and is inching closer to the top 10 in all-time passing yardage.

It was Milanovich who first saw that potential, just as he has with other quarterbacks including Zach Collaros and Cody Fajardo. They have come close to reuniting twice since, once in Edmonton during the cancelled 2020 season and again when Milanovich was nearly hired as Saskatchewan’s head coach in 2024. The choice of Corey Mace proved to be the correct one for the Riders and for Harris, but it does not change the fact that he will forever be tied to Hamilton’s bench boss.

“I’ve learned tons from him, and am really grateful for Scott mentoring me at a young age. I’m still close with him to this day,” Harris said. “I feel like I’ve just continued to grow and learn through that time, and I still love watching his offences because it’s really fun to see how he’s orienting and growing and evolving. We’ve talked about that through the times of how each other’s evolved, and he’s been instrumental for me. But obviously, tomorrow we’ll go compete against one another.”

Milanovich will have a unique challenge on his hands in this meeting, following the loss of Bo Levi Mitchell to a serious ankle injury. Jake Dolegala will get the nod under centre, after getting his CFL start as Harris’ backup in Saskatchewan.

Despite his respect for his old coach, Harris could only chuckle when asked what he thought Milanovich might be teaching Dolegala.

“He’s probably showing Jake how to throw some picks this week,” he grinned.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-1) will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-2) on Sunday, July 12, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Tiger-Cats are coming off a 14-13 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during which Bo Levi Mitchell was carted off in an ambulance, while the Roughriders beat the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 27-22.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 27 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton and 620 CKRM in Regina.