CALGARY — For a new-look team, the Calgary Stampeders had some very familiar faces on the field on Thursday when they kicked off rookie camp in Calgary.

A number of guest coaches have joined Dave Dickenson’s coaching staff as the team completes training camp, including former coach George Cortez and players Juwan Simpson and Jermaine Copeland.

Some, like Cortez and Best, are established coaches with a long history coaching football. Others are just trying to get their foot in the door.

Copeland was a former all-star receiver for Montreal, Calgary and Toronto and became a coach after retiring, becoming a receivers coach for the Ticats in 2012 and then for the Roughriders in 2015.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS GUEST COACHES

NAME ROLE TENURE Aaron Best Assistant coach (Eastern Washington University) Current Jeremaine Copeland Receiver (Montreal, Calgary, Toronto), Coach 2001-2011 George Cortez Coach (Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Hamilton, BC) 1984-2015 Edwin Harrison Offensive lineman (Calgary) 2010-2015 Juwan Simpson Linebacker (Calgary) 2008-2015 Ahmaad Smith Defensive backs coach (Catawba College) 2015

The name that sticks out most for Stamps fans may be Simpson, a fan favourite in Calgary after filling the middle linebacker spot for eight years. Always a vocal leader and the quarterback of the Stampeders’ defence, Simpson was released this off-season and remains a free agent but is hoping to make the transition to coaching.

“I’m passionate about it,” Simpson said Thursday, his first day back at McMahon not as a player. “This is something I want to do.

“This is the next step in my career I feel like and this is a great experience for me to get out here and absorb everything and learn and just kind of see what it’s really like from a coach’s perspective.

“I had to jump on the opportunity and so far so good.”

Simpson joined the Stamps in 2008 and became the starting middle linebacker in 2010. The Decatur, Ala., native played 115 regular-season games for the Red and White as well as 11 post-season contests and was a member of Grey Cup-winning teams in 2008 and 2014.

He was a three-time West Division all-star, a CFL all-star and a finalist for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award in 2010.

Simpson said in an interview two months ago that he’s still open to returning as a player should the right offer come along. For now, though, he’s happy to get whatever experience he can as a coach.

“Let them know this is a major opportunity and these chances don’t come very often,” said Simpson, asked what advice he can give to the rookies. “Any tidbits I can help I’d be glad to do so.”

“It feels good,” he added. “Calgary’s like my second home and getting back out here and even seeing some of the guys, it’s a great feeling.”



The former Stamps linebacker is joined by a former teammate in Copeland, a three-time CFL all-star during his playing career including league honours in 2009 with Calgary when he had 81 catches for 1,235 yards and 12 touchdowns. Copeland also had CFL stops in Montreal and Toronto and played for Barcelona in NFL Europe and the Los Angeles Xtreme in the XFL.

Another former player is Edwin Harrison, an offensive lineman for the Stamps for six seasons. The University of Colorado alum played 48 regular-season games from 2010-15 and was Calgary’s nominee for the Most Outstanding Rookie award in 2010. Harrison began the 2015 campaign as the team’s starting left tackle but suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 3.

An assistant coach for 16 seasons at Eastern Washington University, Aaron Best is currently the running game coordinator, offensive line coach and academic coordinator for the school. He was previously an all-American centre at Eastern Washington. Best was also a guest coach for the Stamps in 2015.

George Cortez is another familiar name not just in Calgary but across the entire CFL. A veteran of both the CFL and Stampeders, Cortez first entered the league in 1984 as running backs coach for the Montreal Concordes and has had three stints on the Stamps coaching staff — 1992-94, 1997-2001 and 2007-09.

He’s has also been an assistant with the Montreal Alouettes, Ottawa Rough Riders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, BC Lions and was head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2012. South of the border, he coached with Rice, Lamar, Southern Methodist and California in the college ranks and was quarterbacks coach with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills from 2011-12.

Lastly, another young coach trying to rise among the coaching ranks is Ahmaad Smith, last year the defensive backs coach at Catawba College. The two previous seasons Smith coached the defensive backs for Hampden-Sydney College after attending CFL training camps with BC in 2008 and Toronto in 2010.

Smith also played for the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers in 2010.

Rookie camp kicked off Thursday at McMahon Stadium while main training camp gets under way on Sunday at 11:05 a.m ET.

– With files from Stampeders.com