The Montreal Alouettes have hired A.J. Gass as their new linebackers coach.
The 50-year-old had his most recent CFL coaching stint with the Edmonton Elks, serving as their special teams coordinator in 2019. He later added the role of linebackers coach, though he stepped away from the team in 2021, citing personal reasons.
The native of Bellflower, Calif. played linebacker for Edmonton from 1998 to 2007, earning four All-CFL selections and helping the team win two Grey Cups.
Over 131 career regular-season CFL games, the six-foot-one, 200-pound defender made 440 defensive tackles, 92 special teams tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 13 pass knockdowns, 12 sacks, eight forced fumbles, 10 fumble returns, and three interceptions.
Gass served as a defensive assistant coach with Edmonton in 2008 and 2009. He most recently served as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach of the Alberta Golden Bears. He also spent nine seasons as a high school head coach.
Greg Quick, who served as Montreal’s linebackers coach in 2025, was named the defensive coordinator of the Toronto Argonauts earlier this offseason.
The Alouettes also hired Domenico Manno as an offensive assistant coach.
The Bishop’s University product joined the team as an equipment assistant in 2021, then became the full-time equipment manager in 2022.
“It was important for us to bring back our staff and I’m happy that most of our coaches and football operations personnel are still with us,” said general manager Danny Maciocia in a statement. “We know how to work together as a group and I’m confident we’ll continue our success. We have a hard-working staff that’s all pulling in the same direction.”
Dave Brown, who joined the team’s coaching staff in 2024 after a five-year playing career, has been named the team’s offensive line coach after previously serving as an offensive line assistant. Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, the team’s longtime offensive line coach, stepped away from the team in December.
Dave Jackson has remained the team’s running backs coach, though he’s added the role of tight ends coach.
The rest of the team’s coaching staff has remained the same with one tweak: head coach Jason Maas has relinquished play-calling duties to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Anthony Calvillo.
Montreal’s full coaching staff is as follows.
Jason Maas – Head Coach
Byron Archambault – Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
Anthony Calvillo – Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach
Noel Thorpe – Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach
Dave Brown – Offensive Line Coach
Michael Lionello – Receivers Coach and Pass Game Coordinator
Dave Jackson – Running Backs and Tight Ends Coach
A.J. Gass – Linebackers Coach
Corvey Irvin – Defensive Line Coach
Domenico Manno – Offensive Assistant
Bryan Wyllie – Defensive Assistant
The Montreal Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 as a starter during the regular-season, though he missed 11 games due to a hamstring injury.
The Alouettes ranked eighth in net offence, first in net defence, and third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal finished sixth in attendance with average crowds of 21,132, which was a 0.8 percent decrease from the previous year.
