Edmonton Elks extend Mark Kilam’s contract through 2029 after West Division win
The Elks kept their head coach after a 13-5 season and their first playoff berth since 2019. Edmonton is due to host the Western Final on Nov. 7.
The Edmonton Elks extended head coach Mark Kilam’s contract through the 2029 CFL season on Oct. 28, following a 13-5 regular season that put the club atop the West Division, according to a Canadian Press report carried by Global News. The decision keeps Kilam in charge as Edmonton prepares to host its first playoff game since 2015.
Edmonton went 8-1 at Commonwealth Stadium this season, its best home record since 2015. The Elks also secured their first playoff berth since 2019 and are scheduled to host the Western Final on Nov. 7. TSN reported that they will face the winner of the BC Lions–Saskatchewan Roughriders Western Semifinal.
Why the Elks extended Mark Kilam
The 13-5 finish was Edmonton’s best regular-season record in more than a decade. The comparison is its 2015 Grey Cup season, when the club went 14-4 overall and 7-1 at home. This year’s 8-1 home mark also reflects a marked change from Kilam’s first season, when the Elks finished 7-11 but won six of their final 11 games and posted their first winning home record since 2019.
Elks vice-president of football operations and general manager Ed Hervey credited Kilam with bringing discipline, resilience and direction to the players. ‘The progress on the field is a direct reflection of his leadership,’ Hervey said in a club release quoted by Global News and TSN. Neither report gave financial terms for the extension.
Kilam thanked the Thompson family, club president Chris Morris and Hervey for their support in a statement quoted by TSN. He also credited the team’s coaches, players and support staff for the work behind the program. His new contract runs through 2029, giving him a longer term in charge before the club’s next playoff game.
Kilam’s record since joining Edmonton
The Elks hired Kilam in December 2024 as the franchise’s 25th head coach. He had spent 19 years with the Calgary Stampeders, including five seasons as an assistant head coach. Across his two full regular seasons in Edmonton, the team has gone 20-16: a 7-11 debut in 2025 followed by this year’s 13-5 finish.
The scheduled Western Final is the next test for a team whose improved regular-season record has now brought it a home playoff date. Edmonton’s opponent will be determined by the BC Lions–Saskatchewan Roughriders semifinal this weekend, TSN reported.
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Sources and context
- Elks extend head coach Mark Kilam through 2029Global News; report by The Canadian Press
- Elks extend head coach Kilam through 2029 after finishing atop West DivisionTSN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.