The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have hired veteran personnel man Brock Sunderland away from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, naming him their senior director of player personnel.
The 46-year-old spent the 2025 season as Winnipeg’s senior player personnel director. He was hired in January after being out of the CFL since November 2021 when he was fired as Edmonton’s general manager in a house-cleaning move that also axed then-president Chris Presson and head coach Jaime Elizondo. The Ticats recently asked and received permission to speak with him regarding a role in personnel.
Sunderland was hired by Edmonton in April 2017 after Ed Hervey was let go. He compiled a 32-36 regular-season record as the team’s general manager and the club regressed each year, going 12-6, 9-9, 8-10, and eventually 3-11. The Great Falls, Mon. native produced a 2-2 mark in the postseason and was paid out through the 2023 season after his firing.
The veteran personnel man has a connection to current Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich. Sunderland hired him as Edmonton’s head coach in December 2019 after firing Jason Maas following a loss in the East Final. Milanovich spent one year working alongside Sunderland before resigning to become the quarterbacks coach with the Indianapolis Colts in January 2021. He never coached a game with the Elks due to the cancellation of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunderland first joined the CFL as a scout with the Montreal Alouettes in 2004 and was later promoted to the team’s director of scouting, a position he held through 2007. He worked in the NFL as a pro scout with the New York Jets from 2008 to 2012. Prior to his stint in the Alberta capital, Sunderland was an assistant general manager with Ottawa for four seasons, helping the Redblacks win the 2016 Grey Cup.
Hamilton’s football operations staff for 2026 has now been set as follows.
Orlondo Steinauer – President of Football Operations
Brock Sunderland – Senior Director of Player Personnel
Alex Russell – Assistant General Manager
Dane Vandernat – Director of U.S. Scouting
Cyril Penn – Director of Player Personnel
Tom Flaxman – Director of Canadian Scouting
CJ Paduano – Director of Football Operations
Nick Roberto – Manager of Football Operations
“We’re fortunate to have a football operations group that knows our players, our process, and our organization,” said president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer in a statement. “Continuity matters and keeps our foundation strong, allowing us to stay aligned in our approach. Brock adds a fresh perspective and valuable experience to the group. We’re confident in the collective path this team is on.”
