Kevin Eiben

Last updated
Kevin Eiben
Toronto Argonauts
Coach Kevin Eiben, Aug 2, 2018.jpg
Eiben before a Toronto Argonauts game in 2018
Date of birth (1979-09-28) September 28, 1979 (age 44)
Place of birth Delta, British Columbia
Career information
CFL status National
Position(s) Defensive co-coordinator
Linebackers coach
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight215 lb (98 kg)
US college Bucknell
High school Vancouver College
CFL draft 2001 / Round: 4 / Pick: 26
Drafted by Toronto Argonauts
Career history
As coach
2013 McMaster Marauders (DC)
2014–2016 Toronto Varsity Blues (DC)
2017–2018 Toronto Argonauts (STC)
2019–present Toronto Argonauts (LB)
2024–present Toronto Argonauts (DCC)
As player
2001–2011 Toronto Argonauts
2012 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star 2004, 2005, 2007
CFL East All-Star 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010
Career stats

Kevin Eiben (born September 28, 1979) is a former professional Canadian football linebacker who is currently the defensive co-coordinator and linebackers coach for the Toronto Argonauts and of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted 26th overall by the Argonauts in the 2001 CFL Draft and spent the first 11 years of his playing career with the team, followed by one season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played college football for the Bucknell Bison.

Contents

Early years

Eiben grew up in Delta, British Columbia with parents Laraine and Larry Eiben, and three siblings. He now resides in Mississauga, Ontario. Eiben comes from a football family. His father played strong safety at the University of Cincinnati and his uncle, George, played fullback at the University of Nebraska His brother, L.J., was a third round draft choice of the Argonauts in the 1996 CFL Draft played for the BC Lions. [1]

Eiben attended Vancouver College high school, lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. He was named all-league football player three times, voted Provincial Offensive Most Valuable Player at quarterback in football his final year, and also made 102 tackles at the safety position. In addition, he was named to the all-league in basketball his senior year. [1]

Eiben went on to Bucknell University, where he majored in business management. He was a Dean’s List student and member of the Patriot League Academic Honour Roll. In his 4 years playing for the Bucknell Bison football team, Eiben started 33 of 43 games playing at either strong or free safety position. He holds a number of school records, including sharing the single-game interception record of 4. In 1999, he received the Clarke Hinkle Award as the Bison's outstanding linebacker or defensive back. He led the Patriot League in 2000 with eight interceptions and, in 2001, was named an American Football Coaches Association All-American, a second team AP Division I-AA All-American, was a first team All-Patriot League selection, a first team ECAC All-Star, the Patriot League’s Scholar-Athlete, and the Bison's MVP. Eiben was inducted into the Bison Hall of Fame in 2012. [1]

After his first year with the Argos, he went to Florida State in the off-season to do his Masters in Sports Management.

Professional career

Eiben was selected by the Toronto Argonauts as the 26th pick in the 2001 CFL Draft and spent time on both the practice and active rosters in the 2001 CFL season. In the 2002 CFL season, he led the Argos with 19 special teams tackles and 4 fumble recoveries. [1]

Eiben signing an autograph along the sidelines in 2005. Kevin Eiben in 2005.JPG
Eiben signing an autograph along the sidelines in 2005.

On February 13, 2003, Eiben became a free agent and re-signed with the Argos on February 20. He played in all 18 games and two playoff games of the 2003 CFL season, primarily on special teams and as a backup linebacker and led the league with 33 special teams tackles. He also achieved his first career quarterback sack and his first career interception. [1]

Eiben was a part of the Grey Cup Championship team in 2004 with the Argos and over his career was a CFL All-Star 3 times and East All-Star 5 times. He currently has the second most tackles (814) in CFL history for a Canadian player behind Mike O'Shea (1320).

He extended his contract with the Argos on February 14, 2009. Eiben was a player representative as a part of the Reebok 'Rediscover' campaign in 2010. He became a free agent on February 15, 2012 and then signed with Hamilton Tiger-Cats on February 18, 2012. [2]

After one season with the Ticats, Eiben announced his retirement via Twitter on March 4, 2013. Eiben retired having played 11 season with the Argonauts and one season with the Tiger-Cats. Throughout his career Eiben amassed 722 Defensive tackles, 92 Special Team tackles, 15 sacks, 10 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. [3]

Business

Kevin Eiben was a franchise owner of Sport Specific Training (SST) with a location in Oakville, Ontario from 2009 to 2014 before selling to his business partner who still runs the location.

After retiring from the CFL, Eiben took a position with the Front Office of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as Manager, Business Development and Corporate Partnerships for the new Tim Hortons Field, home to the PanAm games in 2015 and Hamilton Tiger-Cats starting July 2014 season.

Coaching career

Eiben was the defensive coordinator with the McMaster Marauders for the 2013 season and was the defensive coordinator with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues from 2014 to 2016.

In 2017, Eiben became the special teams coordinator of the Toronto Argonauts. [4] Beginning in 2019, he served as linebackers coach for the Argonauts. On May 1, 2024, it was announced that Eiben had been named defensive co-coordinator in addition to retaining his duties as linebackers coach. [5]

Personal

Kevin is currently living in Mississauga with his wife Alison and their three children, Carter, Brielle and Lucas. They also have a dog, Rex the puggle.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike O'Shea (Canadian football)</span> Canadian Football League head coach

Michael O'Shea is the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a former Canadian football linebacker and former special teams coordinator of the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL from 2010 to 2013, winning the Grey Cup in 2012. O'Shea played 16 seasons in the CFL for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts from 1993 to 2008. He retired second all-time in career tackles with 1,154 and is one of only three players to record over 1,000 tackles. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award in 1999 after recording 84 tackles, 13 special teams tackles and three interceptions that year. O'Shea is a three-time Grey Cup champion as a player, having won all three with the Argonauts in 1996, 1997, and 2004. He is also a two-time Grey Cup winning head coach, having won with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021; O'Shea also won the Grey Cup previously as a special teams coach with the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup.

Orlondo Steinauer is the president of football operations for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a player, he played professional Canadian football as a safety for 13 seasons with the Ottawa Rough Riders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts from 1996 to 2008. He finished his career second all-time in CFL history for interception return yards with 1178 yards. Steinauer was a two-time Grey Cup champion as a player after winning in 1999 with the Tiger-Cats and in 2004 with the Argonauts. He has also won a championship as a coach, winning the 100th Grey Cup as the defensive backs coach for the Toronto Argonauts in 2012.

Michael Edward Fletcher is the linebackers coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a former professional football linebacker who played for nine seasons with the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts. He is a CFL All-Star and a two-time Grey Cup champion, having won with the Lions in 2000 and with the Argonauts in 2004.

Jason Shivers [SHY-verz] is an American professional gridiron football coach who is the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Shivers played professionally as a defensive back in the CFL, National Football League (NFL), and NFL Europe. He was originally selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Toronto Argonauts, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Mace</span> Canadian gridiron football player and coach (born 1985)

Corey Mace is the head coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional gridiron football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rico Murray</span> American gridiron football player (born 1988)

Derico "Rico" Murray is an American former professional gridiron football defensive back and linebacker. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Kent State. He has also been a member of the Edmonton Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassius Vaughn</span> American gridiron football player (born 1987)

Cassius M. Vaughn is a former Canadian football defensive back. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Ole Miss. Vaughn has also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He made his CFL debut in 2016 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hénoc Muamba</span> Congolese-Canadian gridiron football player (born 1989)

Hénoc Muamba is a Congolese-Canadian former professional football linebacker who played in both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He is a two-time CFL All-Star, three-time CFL Divisional All-Star, and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian in 2017. In 2022, he won the Grey Cup with the Argonauts and was named the game's most valuable player (MVP) and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian, becoming the second player in history to earn both awards. He has also been a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Indianapolis Colts, Montreal Alouettes, Dallas Cowboys, and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Nelson (Canadian football)</span> Canadian gridiron football player and coach (born 1956)

Mark Nelson is a gridiron football coach and a former professional Canadian football linebacker. He is the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the Saint Mary's Huskies of U Sports. He played for seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion having won as a coach in 1993, 1996 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Tuggle</span> American gridiron football player (born 1990)

Justin DuJian Tuggle is an American former Canadian football linebacker. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Kansas State. Tuggle is the son of former five-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jessie Tuggle. He is also the brother of Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

Glen Young is a Canadian gridiron football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the defensive line coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played professionally as a linebacker for eight seasons in the (CFL) for the Argonauts, Montreal Alouettes, and Edmonton Eskimos, from 1998 to 2005. Prior to his time in the CFL, he played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, from 1995 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jermaine Gabriel</span> Canadian gridiron football player and coach

Jermaine Gabriel is a former professional Canadian football defensive back and is currently the defensive backs coach for the Saint Mary's Huskies of U Sports. He played for eight seasons with three teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and won a Grey Cup championship with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017.

Taylor Reed is a former gridiron football linebacker. He played college football at Southern Methodist University. He has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, New England Patriots, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders, Ottawa Redblacks, Toronto Argonauts, and Houston Roughnecks.

Thomas Miles is a professional Canadian football linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted in the fourth round, 33rd overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2014 CFL Draft. He played CIS football for the Manitoba Bisons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Herdman-Reed</span> Professional Canadian football linebacker

Justin Herdman-Reed is a professional Canadian football linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football with the Simon Fraser Clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabion Foote</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1994)

Fabion Foote is a professional Canadian football defensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football with the McMaster Marauders from 2013 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Williams (linebacker, born 1994)</span> American gridiron football player (born 1994)

Jordan X. Williams is a Canadian football linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was originally drafted first overall in the 2020 CFL Draft by the BC Lions. He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Hoyte (Canadian football)</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1998)

Trevor Hoyte is a professional Canadian football linebacker who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enoch Penney-Laryea</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1997)

Enoch Penney-Laryea is a Ghanaian professional Canadian football linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Fields (Canadian football)</span> American gridiron football player and coach (born 1978)

William Fields is a former professional Canadian football defensive back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is currently the defensive co-coordinator and secondary coach for the Toronto Argonauts. He is a two-time Grey Cup champion, once as a player with the Calgary Stampeders in 2001 and once as a coach with the Argonauts in 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kevin Eiben". Roster. Toronto Argonauts Football Club. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  2. ↑ "Ticats strike again, add trio through free agency". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-02.
  3. ↑ http://cfl.ca/article/canadian-lb-eiben-to-hang-up-his-cleats Announces Retirement
  4. ↑ "KEVIN EIBEN". argonauts.ca. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Argos Announce Kevin Eiben & William Fields as Defensive Co-Coordinators; Name Myron Lewis as defensive backs coach". Toronto Argonauts. May 1, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.