2024 CFL Week 9: BC Lions at Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Steven Chang/BC Lions
Even for a football lifer like Mike Benevides, every year brings about a new opportunity. Deeply entrenched into his second go-around as Lions’ defensive coordinator- the position he held for four seasons before being elevated to head coach in 2012- the man known simply to many fellow Lion lifers as ‘Bene’ is trying to operate with a wide lens, despite his familiarity to the organization.
“The offseason brings a sense of newness and a re-birth. You’re always excited about how you’re going to build something and how those athletes are going to show themselves,” said the long-time coach in between virtual defensive meetings this past week.
“There’s going to be changes. Half our starters (on defence) are going to be new. And that’s okay. Fast and physical. When we’ve had great defences in this building that I was a part of, it was those elements plus FBI- football intelligence.”
Despite that wise approach, Benevides can’t help but reflect on his coaching path on the West Coast. He arrived with Wally Buono from Calgary in 2003 as special teams coordinator, took over the defence from Dave Ritchie in 2008 and became head coach following the 2011 Grey Cup championship.
“We just had the 22nd anniversary of my arrival. I’ll never forget a young Neil McEvoy picking me and Jacques Chapdelaine up from the airport. I think it rained for my first 30 days out here,” chuckled Benevides.
“It’s been a hell of a journey. Both of my daughters were born here.”
Benevides is just one of many lifers in this organization that owes a great debt of gratitude to Buono. Others include McEvoy, general manager Ryan Rigmaiden, head coach Buck Pierce and secondary coach Ryan Phillips. The current crop of coaches and personnel men are now in charge of bringing the Lions back to glory.
“At the end of the day, that’s what we do; we impact people’s lives and it’s all intertwined,” explained Benevides of the Buono tree.
“He had an impact on Riggs and when we were done in Calgary, Wally asked me to come here. A big part of my career has been attached to him, all the way until I was done in 2014 as the head guy.”
From left: Geroy Simon, Ryan Rigmaiden, Wally Buono and Neil McEvoy at 2017 training camp.
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That’s how much Benevides bleeds black and orange. Following some time on the CFL on TSN Panel mixed in with assistant coaching stops in Edmonton and Ottawa, it was just before the start of the 2023 season when he returned to the team that once fired him and ran the special teams for two seasons.
“It’s bizarre. You never know because life is short and this is a small league. At that time, it was my longest stay in the league,” recalled the Toronto native.
When I cleaned out that office, it was a Sunday. George Chayka was in the building and (then-linebackers coach) Johnny Holland helped me move all my stuff out of there. You collect a lot of stuff after so many years (laughs). I only came by the facility once in the nine years I wasn’t with the team, it was a practice in 2019 while I worked for TSN. The older we get, we learn to never say never. You just never know.”
Mike Benevides in his role as head coach, where he won 33 regular season games between 2012 and 2014.
Re-Uniting With Pierce and RP
While he still holds out hope his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs can sip from the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1967- like we said, not much has changed since he first arrived in 2003- the main championship mindset for Benevides starts and ends with bringing the Grey Cup back to the West Coast of Canada. That new chapter has involved doing some office moving of his own after being spotted helping Pierce settle into his new digs earlier this month.
“I just love watching people have success in their journey and through life. When I took the job in Edmonton, Jason Maas was a rookie head coach. To see Buck Pierce here as the head coach and to be able to be part of anything I can help him with, I told him I’m an open book, I love watching it. I loved watching Buck here as a competitor and as a quarterback.
Both coaches are also thrilled for the opportunity to retain Phillips; someone who outside the organization might be viewed as simply being ‘demoted’ after spending the last three seasons in charge of the defence. Pierce doesn’t see it that way.
Photo Credit: Paul Yates, BC Lions
“Bene’s a proven coach in this league. He’s been a defensive coordinator and coached multiple things. He’s been around the organization, To be able to get Bene in that position was a no-brainer for us. I think the icing on the cake was to keep Ryan in the building,” explained Pierce.
“Ryan’s an excellent coach; I know he’s got tremendous respect from offensive coaches across the league. I see it as a great opportunity to have those two guys working together. One thing that’s really great about those guys is that they’re all about the BC Lions. They want nothing more than to see the team have success. I know it’s going to be a good fit.”
Added Benevides: “I’ve known RP through the entire phase of his career since he came in as a rookie in 2005. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing who he is and what he brings to the table. At the end of the day, you’re looking for good coaches. He has experience in what he brings to the table. You always want to lean on that. It’s a privilege to be with a future Hall of Famer, a guy who I’ve known his entire career. He also knows all of our players. It might be different, but it’s still a great position for him to be in.”
Photo Credit: Steven Chang, BC Lions.
FBI: A Benevides Staple
With just under three months until the Kamloops training camp life begins, Benevides and the rest of the defensive staff including Phillips and veterans Randy Melvin (defensive line) and Glen Young (linebackers) are fully entrenched into building playbooks and installing the ‘FBI’ philosophy.
“We just had our eighth virtual meeting. It’s been consistent, two days a week since we started in January. That will remain consistent until the staff comes in at the start of April,” said Benevides.
Now that the first wave of free agency has complemented the offseason recruiting cycle and the process of retaining some of the Lions’ pending free agents, all of the puzzle pieces are falling into place. And the defensive coordinator is like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Guys I’ve coached like Cam Wake, Solomon Elimimian and in the current days, a guy like Mathieu Betts, you didn’t know who these guys were at one point,” explained Benevides.
“That’s the great thing about our league. I’m excited to get the know these new guys. At the end of the day, it’s about the players, about the people. We’ll figure out what they want to do and set one brick at a time. I’m thrilled about it.
Betts and Sione Teuhuma on the other side, you know what that brings to the table. Josh Woods coming off rehab, you know what he’ll bring to the table. Garry Peters, same thing. I know Micah Awe and Adam Auclair well. Philosophically, Ryan Rigmaiden and Buck want to build from the front to the back. The line of scrimmage is where they want to put the emphasis. We’re going to be fast and physical and wreck shop on the field.”
Football intelligence. A very important element for a Lion lifer like Bene. The sunny skies have certainly helped too.
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com