Elks name Mark Kilam new head coach

The Edmonton Elks have named Mark Kilam of Lethbridge, Alberta as their new head coach according to Rogers Sportsnet on Saturday. Kilam is one of four Canadian head coaches in the Canadian Football League. He is joined by Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea of North Bay, Ontario, Ottawa Red Blacks head coach Bob Dyce of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace of Port Moody, British Columbia. Kilam replaces Jarious Jackson.

Kilam has spent the last two decades with the Calgary Stampeders. He was the Stampeders’s strength and conditioning coach from 2005 to 2009, the Stampeders defensive assistant coach from 2005 to 2006, the Stampeders linebackers coach from 2007 to 2009, the Stampeders special teams coach from 2010 to 2024, and the Stampeders assistant head coach from 2019 to 2024.

The Stampeders fired Kilam from their coaching staff on October 30. While with the Stampeders, Kilam won three Grey Cups. In 2008, the Stampeders beat the Montreal Alouettes 22-14. In 2014, the Stampeders beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16. In 2018, the Stampeders beat the Ottawa Redblacks 27-16.

Kilam played Canadian university football with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. He was a linebacker in the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (now known as USport) from 1997 to 2001. Prior to coaching the Stampeders, Kilam was the defensive assistant coach for Cochrane High School for four years from 2002 to 2005.