Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach
CFL: 20th season
Stamps: 20th season

Kilam is in his 20th season with the Stampeders and his 15th as special teams coordinator. It is his fifth season with the additional title of assistant head coach.

In 2023, the Stampeders ranked in the top third of the league in a number of special-teams categories including net punting average, kickoff average, punt-return average and blocked kicks. Kicker René Paredes led the CFL with 52 field goals and punter Cody Grace was tops in the league with 12 punts inside the opponents’ 10-yard line. Darius Williams was second in the CFL with 22 special-teams tackles.

In 2022, kicker Paredes and Grace both earned CFL all-star honours and as a team the Stampeders led the CFL in net punting average (39.0 yards) and blocked kicks (three). Calgary also ranked in the top three in several other categories including fewest big-play returns allowed, kickoff average and kickoff-return touchdowns.

Rookie Peyton Logan had 1,521 combined return yards and he scored one touchdown on a kickoff return and one on a missed-field goal return.

In 2021, the Stampeders led the league in field-goal percentage, net punting average, kickoff-return average and opponents’ punt-return average and did not allow a kick-return touchdown. Grace was named a West Division all-star and Paredes was a finalist for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award.

The Stamps’ special-teams unit was highlighted by several individual performances in 2019 as Paredes made the most field goals in the league from 40-plus yards, Terry Williams finished second with 2,147 combined yards and Nate Holley registered a team-leading 22 special-teams tackles – good for fourth-best in the CFL – and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie. In addition, the Stamps were tied for the CFL lead with three blocked kicks.

In 2018, the Stamps’ special teams excelled as Calgary led the league in punt-return average (12.3 yards) and lowest opponent punt-return average (8.1 yards).

Calgary’s special-teams unit played a key role in the Stamps’ Grey Cup victory over Ottawa as Williams returned a punt for a touchdown and Riley Jones forced a fumble on a Redblacks punt return.

The 2017 special-teams unit included a record-setting performance by Roy Finch, who beat his own record for most punt-return yards in a season. Finch was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and was also a CFL all-star alongside Paredes, who led the CFL with a 91.4-per cent success rate on field-goal attempts.

The Stamps led the CFL in 2016 with an average of 24.3 yards on kickoff returns. Paredes tied the franchise record with 56 field goals including a league-leading 18 three-pointers from 40 yards or longer. Paredes’ season included a streak of 32 consecutive successful field goals. Rob Maver averaged a career-best 46.9 yards per punt.

In 2015, the group was led by Paredes, who made 41 of 47 field goals, 26 converts and seven singles for a West Division-leading total of 156 points. He earned West Division and CFL all-star nods and was the West’s finalist for the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award.

Maver earned all-star recognition for the third consecutive season in 2014 while Paredes’ 2013 campaign featured two league records at the time – longest consecutive-field goal streak (39) and field-goal efficiency (94.7 per cent) – as well as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award.

In 2012, the Stamps ranked second in the CFL in big plays made in the return game while punter Burke Dales earned CFL all-star honours and both Dales and returner Larry Taylor were named West Division all-stars.

For a second consecutive season, the Stamps featured a rookie kicker in 2011 as Paredes converted on 38 of 48 field goals. In 2010, Kilam worked with Maver, who won the CFL scoring title and set the franchise mark for scoring by a rookie with 185 points.

Prior to assuming the special teams coordinator’s position, Kilam worked in the dual roles of linebackers coach and strength and conditioning coach during the 2009 season.

In 2008, Kilam worked with a defence that allowed the fewest points and touchdowns in the CFL.

Kilam joined the team in 2005 as strength and conditioning coach and began assisting the defence during the season. The following year, he worked as the defensive quality control coach. In 2007, he coached the nickel and dime backs in the secondary before being promoted to linebackers coach during the year.

Before he joined the Stamps, Kilam coached on the defensive staff of the Southern Alberta All-Star Team in the Provincial Senior Bowl from 2003-05. Kilam also coached on the defensive staff with the Cochrane Cobras (2002-05) who went undefeated and won three provincial high school championships in that time.

Kilam played linebacker for the University of Alberta from 1997-2001 and was a team captain. He graduated with a Bachelor of Physical Education majoring in sport and performance.

Mark and his wife Andrea have two daughters.

Mark Kilam’s Coaching History

2019-present – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach
2010-18 – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Special Teams Coordinator
2007-09 – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Linebackers/Strength and Conditioning Coach
2005-06 – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Strength and Conditioning Coach/Defensive Assistant