The Green Zone: Corey Mace believes foundation has been set for Riders

Corey Mace and the Saskatchewan Roughriders have been putting in a lot of work getting ready for 2025.

While there aren’t a bunch of new faces joining the team, some new players did sign contracts and are expected to play key roles.

A number of veterans will return for Mace’s second season as the head coach with Trevor Harris and Marcus Sayles just a couple who agreed to to extensions.

Mace joined The Green Zone with Jamie and Locker on Wednesday to discuss the team now that the busiest part of free agency has come to an end.

But the first question asked was about Mace doing an air-band rendition of Can You Stand the Rain by New Edition to help the team end a seven-game winless streak in 2024.

Listen to Corey Mace on The Green Zone:

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Jamie and Locker: We need confirmation Corey Mace walked into the room wearing a top hat, a trench coat and you did an air band to New Edition’s Can You Stand the Rain to turn around your team?

Mace: I’d probably point to the blow-up in the locker room the Calgary week but this is a part of it. (Slotback Kian Schaffer-Baker) I think put it on his pregame playlist. You have to find different ways to get the guys going. I can’t confirm it’s a top hat and trench coat but we’re on the right path.”

Where did that idea come from?

Mace: I had an opportunity at the (University of Saskatchewan Huskies) Dogs’ Breakfast. Coach (Sean) Peyton was there as the guest and I was fortunate enough to be part of a group to have dinner with Peyton the night before. He shared a story of something he did that was off-the-wall to get his players’ attention. I just left that conversation saying sometimes you have to think outside of the box.

What grade are you giving your management team’s offseason performance?

Mace: A-plus. When I took this job and when all of us came, we understood one thing and that’s there is a good core of players here. (The management) do so much in putting players in place and allowing coaches to get excited about the canvas and work with these guys. Now that we are working together in totality, just certainly pleased with how we attacked free agency. I can’t speak enough about those guys. I love them. We spend a lot of time together, we laugh, we joke, we work and just happy to be a part of this organization.

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Where are the Roughriders right now after a trip to the CFL West Final? Are you putting the finishing touches on this or do you still view it as you’re still at the foundation of what you want to build in Saskatchewan?

Mace: We’re on the clock. I think we understand the foundation has been set. I think our experience with how the season ended and how we finished it, it was crushing for us just because of the belief and what we wanted to accomplish. I think moving forward, that’s going to serve us very well. Just having that relationship with all the guys in the locker room and the guys have it with the rest of the staff, seeing how these guys are approaching these last couple of months, they are champing at the bit. I know the coaches are as well. Every team wants to win the Grey Cup, we just know the steps are ordered day by day. The standard the players will set for the new blood coming in, it will be exciting to see that.

What is it about this squad that makes a player want to stick around?

Mace: That’s probably more of a question for them. What I can see as an observer is just how tight-knit these guys are and how selfless they are for each other. That is special, that does not happen everywhere, and it’s genuine. I think the fact we were able to accomplish that in such a quick time last year, the guys understood that this group of players and how they work for each other is very unique. There’s always going to be turnover in sports and there are some guys that are going to go play for other teams. We love those guys. But we’re excited about bringing in the new people that ultimately we believe will push us to the next level. But the guys who wanted to stay, I truly believe they understand the camaraderie that they have within that locker room. They want to go to work with each other.

You’re nine-for-nine in bringing back all-stars. How happy are you to see that quality of retention for your team heading into next season?

Mace: We’re all happy. In this league, it’s hard to retain everybody, especially all-star calibre. Everyone wasn’t trying to find a top dollar, they just wanted to be treated fairly. I think they understand the greater good of give-or-take – $10,000 here or $15,000 there. I think what they want to accomplish together overrides the dollar price.

How comfortable are you now to send Tommy Stevens on second or third and short for one yard?

Mace: After having to scheme against the guy for a few years, I think it lightens the load from that standpoint. He has been tremendous. He is the top of the league in my opinion in what he does. The relationship that he’s had not only with some people who will be in the building in the quarterback room but also with (offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller), it’s tremendous. On the flip side, go ahead Tommy and do your thing. I still need to look at it with a clear lens.

What are your priorities leading into training camp?

Mace: We’re in the process of diving into the draft. We had our staff up so we hammered out a lot of the playbook stuff that we want to manipulate as we go forward. Looking at potential free agents but now it’s a real deep dive into the draft class. Our position coaches do an outstanding job evaluating their positions and then our scouting department and video department can prepare us by having these things laid out for us, it’s a full meal deal. It’s tremendous.

Do you have to bury your Matthew Tkachuk jersey deep, deep down and find something else red to wear tomorrow (for the Four Nations Face-Off final between Canada and the U.S.A.)?

Mace: That’s a tough one. I’m a big (Tkachuk) guy but when it comes to the sweater, nothing stands in the way of that so it’s Canada all the way.