Drivers announce coaching, football ops staff

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to announce their coaching and football team for the 2023 season.

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Andre Bolduc – Running game coordinator and running backs coach

Bolduc comes to the Roughriders with 22 years of coaching experience, most recently spending nine seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as an assistant coach and working with the running backs. In 2021, the Alouettes, anchored by running back William Stanback, led the league in rushing yards with a team total of 2,023.

While in Montreal, Bolduc also served as an assistant offensive coordinator, receiver coach, and assistant special teams coach. Before joining the Alouettes, Bolduc was a successful college coach, spending time at the Université de Montréal, Collège Montmorency and the University of Sherbrooke. The Quebec native also enjoyed a six-year CFL career (1996-2001) with Ottawa, Edmonton and Montreal.

Del Cowsette – Defensive Coach

Cowsette brings 16 years of college coaching to the Roughriders’ line of defense. He has a strong resume developing defenders and coaching high performers and all-conference stars. Most recently at the Air Force Academy, Cowsette coached three first-time starters to success on the defensive line, including a senior who tipped over from the offensive line and led the Falcons in tackles for loss and sacks.

Before his time in the Air Force, the Ohio native trained at his alma matter, the University of Maryland, the University of Albany, Hampton University and the UFL, where he helped the Virginia Destroyers win the UFL Championship.

As a player, Cowsette was a four-season standout in Maryland (1996-1999), where she became the first team to earn All-ACC honors and is ranked 12th all-time in the Maryland record books with 31 tackles lost. Cowsette was drafted by the Washington Commanders and played for the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears from 2000-2006.

Naaman Roosevelt – Offensive Assistant

A familiar face to Rider fans, Roosevelt is joining the coaching staff full-time after attending training camp 2022 as a guest coach. The popular former receiver spent most of his six-year CFL career at Green and White, playing for 67 games between 2015 and 2019. During that time, he recorded 301 receptions for 4,134 yards and 20 touchdowns and was noted in the locker room for his diligence and discipline.

Prior to the CFL, Roosevelt spent four seasons in the NFL, where he queued for 20 games and earned 396 yards by receiving and scoring a touchdown. A Buffalo, NY native, he played at his hometown school – the University of Buffalo, where he rushed for 3,551 yards and 28 touchdowns in four seasons and was named an All-MAC in 2007 and 2008.

Drew Tate – receiver trainer

After 10 years as a CFL quarterback and three seasons away from the league, Drew Tate returns to the Roughriders as the club’s receiving coach. Since retiring from the CFL in 2018, Tate has served as a coach in both the collegiate and professional ranks, most recently as a tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa. During the 2021 season, Tate was quarterbacks coach at UT Martin. He spent the 2020 season as the running backs, receiver and tight ends coach for the Spring League Alphas and was quarterbacks coach for the BC Lions in 2019.

A two-time Gray Cup champion (2007, 2014), the Texas native played 147 CFL games with 410-615 passes for 5,008 yards, 35 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and added 162 carries for 629 yards and 24 touchdowns. An accomplished college quarterback at the University of Iowa, Tate was named the 2005 Capital One Bowl MVP and the 2004 All-Big Ten First Team.

Anthony Vitale – Offensive Line Coach

Vitale joins the club with more than 10 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience, most recently spending the 2022 season as the offensive line coach for the Edmonton Elks.

Vitale, on the other hand, is no stranger to the Green-Whites, where he took part in the training camp as a guest coach from 2017-2019. Prior to the CFL, he spent a season as an offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Eastern New Mexico University. He was a key part of program reversals, including at Delaware State (2018-2020), where he took the team from last to second place in the MEAC on rushing offense and reduced sacks by 60 percent from the 2017 season. He also helped improve South Baptist University (2013-2018) during his time there, seeing the team go from 1-10 in 2013 to 10-2 and a national ranking of 17 in 2016 .

Defensive coordinator Jason Shivers, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kelly Jeffrey (announced December 2022), special teams coordinator Kent Maugeri, and assistant coaches Deion Melvin and Marcus Klund round out head coach Craig Dickenson’s coaching staff.

The Roughriders’ Football Operations division will continue under the direction of Jeremy O’Day, Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager, with support from General Directors Paul Jones and Kyle Carson.

Jordan Greenly, formerly Manager of Football Operations, has been promoted to Director of Football Operations and works with Football Operations Coordinator Chase Pelletier.

The club welcomed Greg Mayer as their new chief sports therapist this off-season. Mayer was previously an exercise therapist with the Regina Pats, a position he has held since 2004. With over 1,500 WHL games under his belt, Mayer has served as a coach with Team Canada at the World Juniors as well as the Roughriders during camp.

Equipment manager Gordon Gilroy, video and analysis manager Nick Bowley and strength and conditioning coach Clinton Spencer also remain at the club along with their staff.

Source: www.cfl.ca