While the Edmonton Elks didn’t make it to the Canadian Football League (CFL) playoffs, the team had a better finish than last year.
After starting off 0-7 and firing head coach and general manager Chris Jones, the Elks quickly turned things around.
Elks interim president Rick LeLacheur says the team was better during the second half of the season and would have had more to give in the playoffs.
The Green and Gold picked up their first win in August and finished their last 11 games with a 7-4 record.
“I’m very proud of Geroy and Jarius and the coaching staff. They picked up the pieces and went on to, we all know, seven wins,” LaLacheur said during a press conference on Monday.
Interim general manager Geroy Simon says it was an opportunity for the team to “climb the mountain” and “stabilize the organization.”
“I think we just have to learn how to win, and I think we did that we did the last couple weeks, you know the guys really showed growth,” Simon said.
The Elks beat the Toronto Argonauts 31-30 on Friday in a tight finish – a walk-off rouge in overtime – to end their 2024 CFL season.
Once the president, general manager and coach have been decided, the Elks will be looking into their quarterback situation.
Both McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Tre Ford are free agents.
The team hopes to have new leadership in place by Nov. 17, ahead of the CFL championship Grey Cup.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny