Mark Kilam is credited with helping transform the Edmonton Elks after being named head coach in December 2024. According to reporting, Kilam’s early start reflects a focus on building a new football culture and adjusting how the team prepares rather than relying on established routines. One outlet notes that when Kilam arrived, he reportedly did not have basic equipment in his office to review game film, underscoring that the early period involved setting up new processes and priorities. Another outlet frames the team’s progress as a wider “culture change” that has turned the Elks into contenders. While the sources emphasize different aspects—one highlighting Kilam’s initial lack of resources and the work of establishing systems, the other focusing on the results of that transformation—they converge on the idea that the coaching change is linked to a turnaround in Edmonton’s performance and outlook. Both accounts focus on Kilam’s approach and its impact on the team’s resurgence following his hiring at the end of 2024.