The Saskatchewan Roughriders have promoted defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Josh Bell to the role of defensive coordinator.
The 41-year-old native of Los Angeles, Calif. is a longtime coaching colleague of head coach Corey Mace, working alongside him with the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts. Bell played six seasons in the CFL as a member of the B.C. Lions and Stampeders, earning an All-West Division selection in 2015. He won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and has also won three Grey Cups — one as a player and two as a coach.
For the last two seasons, Mace served as the team’s defensive coordinator in addition to his duties as head coach. Jordan Linnen, who served as a defensive assistant in 2025, will now replace Bell as the team’s defensive backs coach.
The Roughriders have also hired Jeff Stusek as their assistant special teams coach, replacing Jeff Higgins. The University of Regina product was a team board member from 2010 to 2019 and has coached the Rams since 2017, serving as their receivers coach, special teams coordinator, and assistant head coach. Stusek has also been involved in other areas of Saskatchewan minor football, including as the head coach of Team Saskatchewan in 2018 and 2019 when they won back-to-back Football Canada Cups.
The rest of the team’s coaching staff has remained the same from 2025, save for Micah Johnson taking over as defensive line coach. This move was previously announced.
Head coach — Corey Mace
Offensive coordinator — Marc Mueller
Defensive coordinator — Josh Bell
Special teams coordinator — Kent Maugeri
Offensive line coach — Edwin Harrison
Receivers coach — Marquay McDaniel
Running backs coach — Andrew Harris
Offensive assistant — Josh Donnelly
Run game coordinator and linebackers coach — Travis Brown
Defensive line coach — Micah Johnson
Defensive backs coach — Jordan Linnen
Special teams assistant — Jeff Stusek
The Saskatchewan Roughriders finished first in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 12-6 record, finishing first in the West Division for the first time since 2019. The team went on to defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, marking the team’s first championship in 12 years. Trevor Harris went 11-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,549 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Roughriders ranked second in net offence, second in net defence, and tied for third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was A.J. Ouellette with 1,222 yards, leading receiver was KeeSean Johnson with 1,159 yards, and leading tackler was A.J. Allen with 91 tackles. Saskatchewan finished second in attendance with average crowds of 28,427, which was a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year.
