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Former Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Jason Maas said he had no hesitation about trading in his red and black outfits for the familiar green and gold when he accepted the job as the Eskimos head coach.

Maas, who spent nine seasons with the Esks as a player, leaves his post as the Ottawa Redblacks offensive co-ordinator — a role where he squared off against Edmonton just weeks ago in the Grey Cup. He was recognized for his work helping the Redblacks’ offence, led by QB Henry Burris, improve the fortunes of the fledgling franchise in only its second season.

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The Eskimos announced the decision to hire Maas on Monday.

“I’d like to say to Jason, ‘Welcome home,’” Eskimos general manager Ed Hervey said Monday afternoon at a news conference to introduce the team’s new head coach.

Hervey said the decision to hire Maas for his first head coaching job came after a thorough selection process. “Many will feel that because we’ve had an existing relationship with each other that it was a slam dunk decision,” Hervey said. “However, there were many qualified candidates out there to interview.