Edmonton Elks head coach Mark Kilam said he shaved his long beard during a team meeting late last month at the urging of players ahead of Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Montreal Alouettes at McMahon Stadium.
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Edmonton Elks head coach Mark Kilam has a new look for Grey Cup week after shaving off his long, thick beard and switching to a handlebar moustache.
Kilam said he removed the beard late last month after players encouraged him to change it, explaining that quarterback Cody Fajardo started the idea for the team.
Speaking Thursday during Grey Cup Media Day, Kilam said the quarterbacks and the offensive line began growing moustaches, and that the team then pushed for buy-in before he finally agreed.
Kilam described holding out because he had kept the beard for years and said he had only shaved it “one or twice” to see what he looked like, since he was a teenager. He added that once he gave in, he did it quickly after a team meeting.
Kilam said he “grabbed a razor” and removed the beard in front of players, adding that he used clippers to buzz it.
Running back Justin Rankin, who was among the players pushing for the change, said he and his teammates did not know what would happen when the team meeting began. Rankin said Kilam started shaving behind a curtain while addressing the group and that the reaction was immediate.
Rankin said the moment helped bring the team together, pointing to the symbolism of a leader showing commitment rather than only talking about it. He said Kilam’s actions demonstrated that he was willing to do “whatever it takes” to win and to buy in.
Kilam said reactions at home have been mixed. He said his wife, Andrea, liked the new look, while his daughters—Jules, 17, and Hennessy, 15—were not big fans.
Kilam said the change has also taken adjustment time for him, noting that when he catches a glimpse of his face he sometimes thinks, “Who’s that.”
Grey Cup Sunday, the Edmonton Elks will face the Montreal Alouettes at McMahon Stadium.
Kilam said he will decide after the Grey Cup whether to grow the beard again or keep the moustache, adding that he expects he will not go back to being completely clean-shaven because “I look like Aladdin” when he does.
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