Ryan McCollough/CFL.ca
OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS will have five guest coaches on the field with them for this year’s Training Camp, including former Hamilton Tiger-Cats offensive lineman Mike Filer, the team announced on Thursday.
Kristine Walker joins the Strength and Conditioning staff as part of the CFL’s Women in Football program, while Isaiah Johns will work with the defensive backs, as a member of the league’s Diversity in Football initiative. In addition to those two, Corey Grant will help with the receiver group, Filer comes on board to assist with the offensive line, and Kye Stewart joins to work with the linebackers and special teams units.
“We are pleased to welcome Kristine, Isaiah, Corey, Mike, and Kye for the duration of our 2024 Training Camp,” said REDBLACKS Head Coach Bob Dyce. “We look forward to them bringing their energy, and expertise to the field as we prepare for the season.”
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Filer spent eight seasons in Hamilton, from 2012 until 2021. He dressed for the first time in 2012, and over the years, worked his way to a regular starting position on the interior offensive line, including in two Grey Cup games in 2014, and 2019, respectively. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Calgary Stampeders in the 2012 CFL Draft, Filer played his decorated collegiate career at Mount Allison; where he won the team’s Lineman of the Year award twice, was twice named an AUS All-Star, and earned a second-team All-Canadian nod in 2010.
Walker has accrued 11 years of experience in strength and conditioning at Western, including nine years as assistant coach and two years as the S&C coordinator, where she worked with national level programs including football (National Champions in 2017 and 2021, finalists in 2018), men’s hockey, women’s hockey (National silver medalists in 2018), men’s basketball and women’s soccer.
A former U Sports defensive back at the University of Toronto, Johns serves as a defensive secondary assistant at Windsor, as well as linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator for Team Ontario’s U16 program. In November 2023, he was recognized by Ontario University Athletics as the conference’s second-ever recipient of the Champion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion award.
Grant has served as head coach of the Carleton Ravens since March of 2022, after three years as offensive coordinator at McMaster (his second stint with the team), where he helped the Marauders to a Yates Cup in his first season of 2019. He previously spent six years with the Tiger-Cats, as running backs coach and offensive quality control coach, following two years as McMaster’s receivers coach, that included a Vanier Cup in 2011.
As a player, Grant enjoyed an 11-year CFL career as a receiver, that included two stints with the Ticats, and time spent with the Montreal Alouettes, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He earned Most Outstanding Rookie honours in 1999, helping Hamilton to the Grey Cup that same season. He won his second championship with the Riders in 2007.
Stewart currently serves as outside linebackers coach for his alma mater of Illinois State, after being hired in 2018. He was previously defensive line coach at Alcorn State from 2016 to 2017, after breaking into the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at Memphis from 2013 to 2015. During his playing career, Stewart was twice named First-Team All-GFC as a linebacker, before spending time with the Roughriders, and with Edmonton in the CFL.
The REDBLACKS kick off their 2024 Rookie Camp at TD Place on Thursday, May 9, in advance of Training Camp beginning on Sunday.
