Photo courtesy: Dustin Bowdige/B.C. Lions
The B.C. Lions are in need of a new special teams coordinator, but don’t expect one to be in place before Saturday’s matchup with the Edmonton Elks.
In an exclusive interview with 3DownNation, general manager Ryan Rigmaiden revealed that special teams duties will be handled by committee in Week 5, with all members of the existing coaching staff chipping in while the team is in Kelowna. The club plans to contact possible external candidates after the game, with head coach Buck Pierce conducting interviews during the subsequent bye week.
“I haven’t set any kind of timeline (for hiring), neither has Buck. We want to make sure we bring in the right person. We’re not just going to bring in somebody that’s a name. Getting decisions right is more important than getting decisions done quickly,” Rigmaiden explained.
“This is not a bulls— answer: we’re exploring everything. We’ve got a handful of names that we feel like are guys that could come in and contribute. Fit, for us, is absolutely huge, and we want to be sure that we’re not just bringing in somebody that’s a good coach; they’ve got to be the right fit for the staff and for our culture. We’re going to consider everything, but we’re honestly not going to start that until the end of the week.”
The Lions announced the firing of special teams coordinator Cory McDiarmid late Sunday night, making him the first major casualty of a disappointing 0-3 start to the season.
The decision came on the heels of a 41-33 loss to the Calgary Stampeders the night before, in which B.C. committed several key special teams miscues, including a pivotal fumble and surrendering a punt return touchdown. However, internal concerns regarding the performance of the unit pre-dated that result, prompting a difficult decision.
“It’s gut-wrenching when you have to make these types of decisions, because obviously families are involved. It’s the dark part of this business. It’s a bummer; it’s an absolute bummer,” Rigmaiden said.
“Cory is a tremendous human being, and these decisions don’t come lightly, but collectively from the organization, we saw a decline in the overall performance of special teams. It was a concern, and I think at the end of the day, Cory’s message, whatever he was sending in that message, just wasn’t being received (by the players). It’s one of those unfortunate situations where you’ve got to do the best thing for the club and the best thing to move forward.”
Rigmaiden consulted with all levels of the organization before electing to make the first in-season coaching change of his tenure. Pierce was involved in the decision-making process, but it was ultimately the GM’s choice to part ways with McDiarmid — a setup which differs from that of other teams.
“When it comes to those matters, I’ve got the final say,” Rigmaiden said. “Obviously, Buck and I are in lockstep with these types of decisions, and I’m never going to make a move without at least getting his counsel and what he thinks. But at the end of the day, it’s my call.”
The Lions went 11-7 in their first season under Rigmaiden and Pierce, advancing to the Western Final. Expectations were high entering 2026, with B.C. being a popular pick among fans and analysts to reach the 113th Grey Cup. Those predictions have not aged well thus far, as the team has stumbled out of the gate with losses to Saskatchewan, Hamilton, and Calgary.
B.C. has struggled with injuries offensively, while the defence was a major point of concern in the first two games. Additionally, some have questioned the overall depth of the roster, particularly in the defensive secondary and along the offensive line. That has led to suggestions that McDiarmid was used as a scapegoat, though Rigmaiden was forthcoming that the root of the team’s issues did not lie solely on the departed coordinator’s shoulders.
“I understand (fans being frustrated). Believe me, I’m one of them. When you’re 0-3, everybody’s frustrated. You have to turn that frustration into motivation, and then you make those decisions,” he said.
“Let’s be very honest with what this situation is. When you’re 0-3, it’s never just one thing. It usually comes down to two things: coaching and personnel. Our players have to get better and execute better as well. These things aren’t done lightly. These are difficult decisions that you’ve got to do for the betterment of the club. We didn’t think we’d be here at 0-3, but we are, and we have to make the best decisions possible to move forward.”
The Lions have the second-longest Grey Cup drought in the CFL and have not reached the championship game since winning in 2011 — a season in which they famously started 0-5. Owner Amar Doman has yet to be rewarded for his investment into the franchise, and has shown a willingness to make major changes when the team underperforms, firing head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell after a disappointing finish and early playoff exit in 2024.
When asked if further changes could be on the table this year if their record does not improve, Rigmaiden was frank.
“We’re prepared to make any decision possible, whether it’s coaches or players or anything else, that we feel like will make us be a better team,” he said. “We’ve made shifts in personnel already. We’ll have some more shifts this week. (The firing) was something that we felt like we had to do.”
Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that a turnaround is possible, citing tough draws against future Hall of Fame quarterbacks as a factor in the slow start. The rest is fixable.
“The key for us, and this is for me as well, is that you’ve got to identify what’s wrong, and you’ve got to try to fix that. Whether that’s coaching, personnel, schedule changes, or whatever it’s going to be, you’ve got to have a good pulse on the team to make those decisions, and we’re doing that,” Rigmaiden insisted.
“It’s coming slower than we wanted to, but I do feel like we have the talent in the building, both coaching and with the roster, that we’re able to contend in the fall.”
The B.C. Lions (0-3) will host the Edmonton Elks (3-0) at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna on Saturday, July 4, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Elks are coming off a 23-18 come-from-behind win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, while the Lions lost the first of two games in the Okanagan against the Calgary Stampeders.
The weather forecast in Kelowna calls for a high of 26 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 880 CHED in Edmonton or 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in B.C.
