Mike Benevides – Defensive Coordinator

The REDBLACKS welcome Coach Mike Benevides as the club’s new Defensive Coordinator in 2020, tasking the experienced Canadian bench boss with making sure the team is tough to score points against.

Benevides started his CFL coaching career as a defensive assistant with the Calgary Stampeders in 2000. He was promoted to special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 2001, a season that was capped by the Stamps’ 27-19 victory over Winnipeg in the 89th Grey Cup.
“Bene” moved-on to the BC Lions as the team’s special teams coordinator and linebackers coach between 2003 and 2007 and earned his second Grey Cup ring in 2006 when the Lions defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-14. He then began a four-season stint as the Lions’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2008 and after winning his third Grey Cup in 2011, he was promoted to head coach.

In 2012, Benevides guided the Lions to a first place finish in the west with a 13-5 regular season record and in his three-seasons at the helm, the Lions were a combined 33-21. Benevides moved-on to the Edmonton Eskimos in 2016 as the team’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and in his third and final season with Edmonton, he also assumed the role of linebackers coach.

Benevides, like LaPolice, has also gained experience as a broadcaster between coaching jobs, working with TSN as an analyst before joining the REDBLACKS.