MEDIA RELEASE | 2025 Coach Of The Year to be crowned in Edmonton
Evening of celebration to recognize league and local leaders in football
TORONTO (February 9, 2026) – To officially wrap-up one season and welcome the start of the next, the Canadian Football League is introducing a new event to celebrate the leaders of the game. Ahead of the 2026 CFL Combine in Edmonton from March 27-29, the league will recognize the 2025 recipients of the CFL Coach of the Year, the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award, and introduce a new honour – the Ted Goveia Football Operations Award.
The first annual Coach of the Year Celebration will take place on March 25 at The Westin Edmonton and will be hosted by radio personality, motivational speaker and community champion, Chris Scheetz. The fundraising event in support of Football Alberta will offer attendees the opportunity to connect with coaches from across the league and participate in a silent auction, with all proceeds supporting local amateur football programming and initiatives.
The evening begins with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by a three-course dinner and the awards program at 7 p.m.
Football Alberta and the Edmonton Elks will also take the opportunity to honour several coaches from across the province who are shaping the next generation of players and cheer squad members. Nominations across several categories are open now.
Single tickets for $200 plus taxes and fees, or a table of 10 for $1,750, are available for purchase here.
CFL COACH OF THE YEAR
At the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, each team’s head coach and the local voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada selected Saskatchewan’s Corey Mace and Montreal’s Jason Maas as finalists for the Coach of the Year honour with a total of 53 votes counted.
In his second year at the helm, Mace led the Roughriders to a CFL-best 12-6 record to capture the team’s ninth West Division title in franchise history. Saskatchewan led the CFL in points allowed (22.7 per game) and rushing yards allowed (76.0), while notching the second-best net offence (382.6 yards per game). Mace is a back-to-back finalist for the honour.
Maas led the Alouettes to their fourth consecutive postseason appearance, finishing with a 10-8 mark, despite injuries forcing the team to start four quarterbacks. The team’s defence finished first in net yards allowed (338.4 per game), passing yards allowed (256.9 per game) and big plays yielded (37). Maas captured the award in 2024.
HUGH CAMPBELL DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARD
Presented annually since 2006, the award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated great leadership in making significant contributions to the game. The award honours its namesake’s years of service to Canadian football as a player, coach and executive. Past winners include Wally Buono, Norman Kwong, Bob Ackles and 2024’s recipient, John Hufnagel.
TED GOVEIA FOOTBALL OPERATIONS AWARD
New this year, the CFL will present an honour in remembrance of Ted Goveia, who passed away in September 2025, following a courageous battle with cancer. Goveia was a leader in the CFL and in the broader Canadian Football community, from the junior and university ranks to the professional level. He most recently served as the General Manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and he was also one of the architects of Grey Cup championship teams with Toronto in 2012 and Winnipeg in 2019 and 2021.
The annual award recognizes club football operations personnel for outstanding achievement in scouting, player identification, roster building and leadership.
EDMONTON ELKS
The Edmonton Elks are proud members of the Canadian Football League, playing their home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.
The club, officially renamed the Elks in June of 2021, has a tradition of excellence having won 14 Grey Cup championships (1954-56, 1975, 1978-82, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2015). Since its founding, the club remains focused on providing outstanding football memories for Edmonton and all of Northern Alberta.
Elks Football… Always Edmonton
Michael Arcuri