FIRING STILL STINGS BENEVIDES

TORONTO (CP) – Time hasn’t cured what ails Mike Benevides and he doubts it ever will.

The longtime CFL coach attended the league’s national combine last weekend working again with TSN. Benevides’ first stint with the all-sports network came during Grey Cup week in Vancouver, less than two weeks after being fired as the B.C. Lions head coach.

Benevides said he’s still not over the dismissal.

“No, I don’t think you ever get over that,” the 46-year-old Toronto native said. “It’s part of what the world is and we know what we signed up for.

“Certainly that will be something that will never go away.”

There were other coaching opportunities as the Saskatchewan Roughriders offered Benevides their defensive co-ordinator’s position. He also talked with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers about a similar position but opted to spend 2015 with his family.

“It’s been very different, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Benevides said. “When January, February come around you get together with your staff so it’s been very different.

“But it’s been very good for me and my family. It’s been refreshing and rejuvenating and certainly the priority is family. That’s why I’ve done what I’ve done.”

Benevides was relieved of his duties following B.C.’s 50-17 road loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division semifinal. It ended a disappointing 2014 campaign that saw the Lions (9-9) finish fourth in the West Division without injured starter Travis Lulay.

The Lions began the season aiming to become the fourth straight franchise to win the Grey Cup on home soil. They began the streak in 2011 before the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders both followed suit.

But B.C. lost its final two regular-season games by a whopping 70-19 margin before finishing its campaign with the one-sided playoff defeat. Benevides became the Lions’ head coach when Wally Buono left the sidelines following the ’11 championship victory to become the club’s full-time GM and vice-president of football operations.

Benevides began his CFL coaching career in 2000, joining Buono’s Calgary Stampeders staff. He followed Buono to B.C. in 2003.

Benevides compiled a 33-21 record as B.C.’s head coach but went 0-3 in the playoffs. After the Lions were 13-5 to finish atop the West Division during Benevides’ first season at the helm, they fell to third (11-7) and fourth (9-9), respectively, the following two seasons.

Benevides said while he’s enjoying the family time, he plans to return to the CFL coaching ranks.

“As soon as I can,” he said. “Certainly I was fortunate enough to have opportunities but to make a decision for me and for my family, that was a priority.

“In this game if you’re going to be great, which we all fight to be, you’ve got to put your heart and soul and everything into it and be invested and sometimes those other priorities slip by the wayside.”

And when he resumes coaching, Benevides said he’ll harbour no resentment towards the Lions.

“I think to be in this business and strive to be as good as you want to be, you’re always self motivated,” he said. “I don’t think you need any other things.

“I think what’s most important is to find the lessons learned every single time when we play a game or go through a season. You take all the lessons and figure out what your next approach will be.”

In the meantime. Benevides could land further work with TSN during the CFL season.

“That’s something we’ve talked about a little bit and we’ll see where that goes,” he said. “But certainly I’m enjoying this weekend.

“Anything I could do to help the league that’s been so great to me I’ll be glad to do it.”