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According to a CFL coach who has worked with members of Jones’ staff in the past, there was a very significant – and previously undiscussed – element to the mass exodus. According to this source, only eight days after Chris Jones had accepted the dual role in Saskatchewan, his assistant coaching staff, many of whom had not made final decisions to stay or go, found out they were not being paid on Dec. 15, discovering they would not be compensated for the two weeks subsequent to winning the Grey Cup, even though they were still employed by the club.

When the assistant coaches inquired, they were told that the instruction of non payment came directly from Eskimos GM Ed Hervey. Incensed, any doubt about how many would follow Jones to Saskatchewan was eliminated immediately. Not only did Stephen McAdoo, Craig Dickenson, Jarious Jackson, Mike Scheper, Ed Philion, Phillip Lolley and Jason Shivers accept offers to join Jones in Regina, but the Riders organization “made them whole,” by agreeing to pay them for the entire month of December.

When asked about the matter on Thursday, Hervey’s comments were both interesting and revealing. And, in spite of being fined by the league office for previously suggesting the Riders tampered with Jones and Co. prior to the Grey Cup game, he once again stuck to his guns.

“As far as when guys leave, I knew two weeks before the Grey Cup that there was stuff going on, so I was prepared for it,” Hervey said. “I was in full motion on trying to prepare for the next guy. I was looking for a new head coach and I wanted to give the next head coach an opportunity to hire his own staff. I wasn’t interested in holdover, I was interested in new. That’s the direction I wanted to go in. I wasn’t going to be put in a situation where Jason (Maas) had to interview anybody from the previous staff to hold them over. To me, it was an all-or-nothing move (to Saskatchewan). That’s what I was comfortable with, and it was what I was hoping for. And, it happened that way.

“There are no secrets in this league. People can pretend they are hush-hush, but like I said earlier, what I was fined for happened.”

When asked about the matter on Thursday, Chris Jones took the high road.

“Yeah, my guys were under contracts for two more weeks (until the end of December),” he said. “He (Hervey) had already spoke to Jason, I think, and they (the Eskimos) wanted change. So, we got what we wanted and they got what they wanted.”

GModdejonge@postmedia.com

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