CFL NOTEBOOK: MORE COACH HIRINGS, PLAYER DEALS

TORONTO – Corey Mace was named the new defensive co-ordinator of the Toronto Argonauts on Thursday.

Mace served as the Calgary Stampeders defensive-line coach from 2016 through 2021. The move reunites Mace with Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, who was Calgary’s quarterback coach from 2016 to 2019 before being hired by Toronto.

Mace joins the Argos’ staff after defensive consultant Chris Jones left the franchise to become the Edmonton Elks head coach/GM.

Calgary led the league in sacks three times (2016-2018) under Mace’s guidance and finished second in 2019.

The Stampeders also led the league in opponent rush yards against (86.5) in 2018, holding opposing offences to a league low points (301) in 2017 and league low touchdowns allowed (11) and gain per rush (4.6) in 2016.

Mace, from Vancouver, also helped Calgary won the Grey Cup in 2018, his first as a coach.

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MONTREAL – Anthony Calvillo is once again a Montreal Alouette.

The Alouettes announced Thursday that the Canadian Football League’s all-time leading passer has rejoined the club as quarterback coach.

Calvillo played 16 of his 20 pro seasons in Montreal and was part of the team’s coaching staff from 2015 to 2017.

He has been coaching the Universite de Montreal Carabins since 2019.

As a player, Calvillo led the Alouettes to three Grey Cups (2002, 2009, 2010).

The 49-year-old retired in 2014 and still holds numerous CFL passing records, including most passing yards with 79,816. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

“We are very pleased to have Anthony back on our coaching staff,” said Alouettes head coach Khari Jones. “Anthony is a highly respected individual who has had one of the greatest careers in the CFL. The association between him and the Alouettes is simply natural, he returns where he had all his glory years. Our organization has just inherited a very good teacher.”

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Elsewhere, TSN’s Dave Naylor reports Jeff Reinebold has joined the Montreal Alouettes as Special Teams Coordinator. It’s also been reported the Edmonton Elks have re-worked the contract of quarterback Nick Arbuckle.

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WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the club has signed all-star American offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick to a one-year contract extension.

Hardrick was scheduled to become a free agent next month.

Hardrick (6-5, 320, University of Nebraska; born: May 30, 1990 in Batesville, MS) returns to the Blue Bombers for a sixth season in 2022. He has appeared in 98 regular-season CFL games, including 78 as a member of the Blue Bombers, 12 with the B.C. Lions in 2014 and eight with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2015.

An emotional leader and consistent presence at right tackle for the Blue Bombers since 2016, Hardrick was part of an offensive line that helped Winnipeg lead the CFL in scoring, surrender the fewest quarterback sacks and finish second in rushing.

His work was recognized as he was named a West Division All-Star for a second time, after also being honoured in 2017, and then selected to the CFL All-Star Team for the first time in his career.

Hardrick began his college days at Fort Scott Community College before transferring to Nebraska.

(With files from the Canadian Press, Blue Bombers Communications)