Montreal Alouettes head coach Jason Maas is among the CFL's fiercest competitors, but if the 49-year-old is drawing extra motivation from the Gray Cup matchup against his former team, he's not letting anyone know.
Maas served as the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offensive coordinator for two seasons but was fired from his position after a seven-game losing streak caused the team to miss the playoffs in 2022. Three years later, he has a chance to get revenge on the organization on the CFL's biggest stage, but he downplayed that dynamic.
“I think everyone could look at it as human nature – you look for motivation, no matter where it comes from. I went through that a long time ago,” Maas said Tuesday. “I found a home, I really appreciate the home I'm in now, and I'm grateful for the people I work with every single day. I have a smile on my face every day. Sometimes things happen for reasons, and if I had to go through that to get to where I am, I'm very grateful and grateful for that. That's all I can really say about that.”
Maas helped the Riders reach the Western finals in 2021, earning him a two-year contract extension with the team. Just a year later, he became the scapegoat for their late-season failure after the offense finished seventh in points and ninth in net yards. Maas was fired and starting guard Cody Fajardo was allowed to operate in free agency.
The pair were quickly picked up by a Montreal Alouettes team mired in ownership dysfunction and instantly made Rider Nation jealous by teaming up to turn that organization around and win the Gray Cup title in 2023. Saskatchewan lost seven straight and missed the playoffs for the second straight season, and head coach Craig Dickenson was eventually fired to usher in a new era.
Maas continued his success with Montreal, posting the best regular-season record in the CFL last season and earning a second berth in the Gray Cup this year with a different quarterback at the helm. Now he'll face the Riders, who have experienced their own resurgence since hiring up-and-comer Corey Mays as their head coach ahead of the 2024 campaign.
When asked what Maas brought to Saskatchewan that was missing during his time with the franchise, Maas focused on a renewed team culture.
“I’m not there now, but I witnessed and see a whole group of guys playing really hard for this man,” he said. “The testament to the way they look at the game and the way they play is emulating the way he played. I think he brought a lot, maybe even more than I know, because I'm not there every day to see it. I just see it from the outside and I'm very impressed with it. He provides a team every single day that believes in themselves and that they can win every game.”
Regardless of this week's outcome, all parties appear to have benefited from Maas' unceremonious exit. The Beaver Dam, Wis., native used it as a springboard to build a perennial contender in La Belle, and for Saskatchewan it was a necessary stepping stone in its search for the coach of the future.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Gray Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 pm EST.
The weather forecast for Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees, sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the US and CFL+ worldwide.
