Riders Add Two Coaches to Staff for 2025, a Veteran and a Newcomer

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have announced their coaching and football operations staff for the 2025 season, adding two new assistant coaches.

Travis Brown has been hired as linebackers coach, while Josh Donnelly joins as an offensive assistant. All other roles will continue to be filled by incumbent coaches. Brown has spent the last six seasons with the B-C Lions. He previously spent two years in the same role with Edmonton, where he coached J-C Sherritt to a 100-tackle season. He takes over for Sherritt with the Green and White, after the former member of the Elks returned to Edmonton to become defensive co-ordinator. Donnelly joins the Riders after spending the last two seasons as a coach for the Regina Rams. Donnelly began as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023, just one season after he was forced to retire as the team’s quarterback due to injury. The Regina product was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2024 and helped lead the Rams to a Hardy Cup victory and a national semi-final appearance. Following is the news release, which includes the full coaching and football operations staff, from the Roughriders…..

DATE:                           December 19, 2024 

RELEASE TIME:      IMMEDIATELY 

RELEASE:                 SR24-201 

RIDERS ANNOUNCE 2025 COACHING AND FOOTBALL OPERATIONS STAFF

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to announce the Roughriders’ Coaching and Football Operations staff for the 2025 Canadian Football League season.

New additions for the 2025 campaign are Travis Brown (Linebackers) and Josh Donnelly (Offensive Assistant). The remaining members of the 2024 Coaching and Football Operations Staff will continue in their roles for the 2025 season.

Travis Brown 

Linebackers Coach 

Brown joins the Roughriders for his eighth season coaching CFL linebackers. He spent the previous six seasons with the B.C. Lions (2019-24), where under his leadership linebackers Bo Lokombo and Jordan Williams won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award (2021) and Most Outstanding Rookie Award (2021) respectively. Before joining the B.C. Lions, Brown spent two years as the linebackers coach of the Edmonton Elks (2018-19) coaching J.C. Sherritt, who earned 100 tackles in his final season as a player in 2018, and current Roughriders Player Personnel Coordinator Larry Dean, who was the Elks’ unanimous nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019. After playing two seasons with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, Brown transitioned to coaching the linebackers at his alma mater, Fresno State, for two seasons (2017-18).

Josh Donnelly 

Offensive Assistant 

Josh Donnelly joins the Roughriders after spending the last two seasons as a coach for the University of Regina Rams. Donnelly began coaching at the U of R in 2023 as the Pass Game Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach. Under Donnelly, quarterback Owen Sieben was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year. In 2024, Donnelly was promoted to Offensive Coordinator and helped lead the Rams to a Hardy Cup and an at-home national semi-final appearance (Mitchell Bowl).

Full biographies of all Roughriders Coaches and Football Operations Staff can be found here.

Football Operations

Coaching Staff

Equipment Staff

Video Staff

Health & Wellness