Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace has re-signed Kent Maugeri as special teams co-ordinator while hiring Marc Mueller as offensive co-ordinator.
Both men signed two-year contracts through the 2025 season. Mueller, who was born and raised in Regina, returns to his home province with a decade of C-F-L coaching experience after beginning his career with the Stampeders as a defensive assistant in 2014. Over the last 10 seasons, he was a running backs coach and quarterbacks coach. He is a two-time Grey Cup Champion, winning with Calgary in 2014 and 2018. Mueller is the grandson of legendary Saskatchewan quarterback Ron Lancaster. His father, Larry, was the Roughriders’ assistant general manager from 1989 to 1992. Following is the news release from the Green and White…..
DATE: December 6, 2023
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR23-149
ROUGHRIDERS INK MUELLER, MAUGERI AS OFFENSIVE AND SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATORS
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Corey Mace are pleased to announce Marc Mueller has joined the Club as its new Offensive Coordinator and Kent Maugeri has signed a new contract as the Special Teams Coordinator. Both contracts are for two years.
Mueller, who was born and raised in Regina, returns to his home province with a decade of CFL coaching experience after beginning his career with the Calgary Stampeders as a defensive assistant in 2014. Over the next 10 seasons, Mueller served as the running backs coach (2015-19) and quarterbacks coach (2020-2023). He is a two-time Grey Cup Champion, winning with Calgary in 2014 and 2018.
“I am thrilled to be able to bring Marc back home to Saskatchewan as the offensive coordinator,” said Mace. “He was an instrumental part of my process, and his time spent on both sides of the ball learning from the likes of John Hufnagel, Dave Dickenson and Ryan Dinwiddie make him the perfect person to take on this role. I am excited for what he will add to the Rider offence and our organization.”
Mueller helped coach Jake Maier to the starting position in 2022, when he completed 74.7 per cent of his passes. As the starter in 2023, Maier was the only CFL quarterback to play in all 18 regular-season games, amassing 4,244 yards passing (third in the league). He recorded five games with 300-plus passing yards, including a 450-yard, four-touchdown showing on July 23. He went on to have another four-touchdown game a month later, throwing for 387 yards against Toronto. Also in 2023, Maier led his team on a league-best three game-winning drives and set a franchise record with a completion percentage of 91.7 (22 of 24) against the Argonauts on Aug. 4. In 2021, Maier stepped in for an injured Bo Levi Mitchell and became the first player in CFL history to pass for 300 yards in each of his first three starts. As a team that season, the Stamps finished second in both passing yards and completions of at least 30 yards.
Over five seasons as the running backs coach, Mueller worked with several formidable tailbacks, including Ka’Deem Carey, Don Jackson and Jerome Messam — the latter of whom won the league rushing title in 2016 and was 20 yards shy of repeating as the pace-setter in 2017. The Stamps finished among the top two in team rushing touchdowns three times during Mueller’s stint as running backs coach. The blocking provided by the running backs and fullbacks helped the Stamps rank either first or second in fewest sacks allowed all five seasons.
Prior to joining the CFL coaching ranks, Mueller spent one season as the quarterbacks coach at his alma mater with the University of Regina Rams after suiting up for six seasons (2007-12) as a U Sports player. Mueller graduated from the Rams as the owner of several school records, including career completion percentage (62.1) and single-season pass attempts (310 in 2009), completions (182 in 2010) and completion percentage (67.8 in 2012). As well, the former Sheldon-Williams Spartans standout set the Rams’ single-game record for completion percentage (78.4 in 2012 at Saskatchewan). He was invited to the 2011 CFL Combine and attended training camp with Edmonton, playing in one preseason game — at historic Mosaic Stadium.
Mueller is the grandson of legendary Roughrider quarterback Ron Lancaster. Mueller’s father, Larry, was the Roughriders’ Assistant General Manager from 1989 to 1992.
Maugeri returns as the Roughriders’ Special Teams Coordinator, a role he has held since 2022. This past season under Maugeri, the Roughriders had two special teams players named West All-Stars (punter Adam Korsak and returner Mario Alford) and the Club was among the best in the league in four statistical categories — first in average yards per punt (47.9) and recovered onside kicks (three); second in punt-return touchdowns (three) and opponents’ kickoff-return average (19.2 yards). In addition, primary returner Mario Alford was second in the league in punt return yards (978), kickoff return yards (1,181) and total return touchdowns (three). He also ranked third in the CFL in combined yards (2,266). Both A.J. Allen (5th) and Kosi Onyeka (7th) were in the top 10 for special teams tackles, with 19 and 17 respectively.
In Maugeri’s first year as the Special Teams Coordinator, Alford was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player after leading the league in kick-return touchdowns (four), ranking second in missed field goal return yards (129) and placing third in kickoff return yards (1,030) and punt return yards (530). As a unit, the Roughriders’ special teams were first in kickoff return touchdowns, second in big play returns (10), second in kickoff return average (23.1 yards), second in blocked kicks (2) and second in own kicks recovered (2). Maugeri was named the Special Teams coach in 2021.
Maugeri will be entering his ninth year with the Club, having initially joined the Green and White as a quality control coach in 2016 before being named the running backs coach in 2017 — a role in which he served until becoming the Special Teams coach in 2020. As the running backs coach in 2019, Maugeri played a role in William Powell becoming the second-leading rusher in the CFL, with 1,093 yards and a league-leading 12 touchdowns along the ground. Included was a three-touchdown game against B.C. on July 27. Powell added 296 receiving yards and two aerial touchdowns that season. In addition, two of the nine longest rushes in Riders history have been under the tutelage of Maugeri. Those runs, both by Marcus Thigpen, produced 82- and 80-yard touchdowns in 2018.
“Kent has done a phenomenal job in his eight seasons with the Roughriders, growing relationships and working hands on with the team roster,” said Mace. “His colleagues and players speak highly of him, and his philosophies align with my vision for how I want our team to play. I’m elated to keep him in Saskatchewan and watch him lead our special teams unit.”
