DICKENSON OUT, O’DAY STAYS

REGINA – Craig Dickenson paid the price for the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ shortcomings on Monday as the CFL club announced it would not renew his contract as head coach.

His departure came two days after the Roughriders capped a 6-12 season with a 29-26 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. The result extended Saskatchewan’s losing skid to seven games and cost the team a playoff spot.

“I want to thank coach Dickenson for everything he has given to the Saskatchewan Roughriders over his 10 years in Green and White,” general manager Jeremy O’Day said in a release. “From his time as special teams coordinator to his five seasons as a head coach, he gave all he had to the team and did it with kindness and respect.

“We appreciate his hard work and dedication and wish him all the best moving forward.”

The Roughriders also announced that O’Day, who also serves as vice-president of football operations, had agreed to a new contract.

There was no immediate word on the timeline for plans to name Dickenson’s replacement.

It was the second straight year that Dickenson guided the team to a 6-12 mark and the team missed the playoffs. Saskatchewan also dropped seven in a row to close the 2022 campaign.

After the home loss to the Argonauts, he accepted responsibility for the team’s struggles.

“At the end of the day, it’s all on me,” Dickenson said. “Like I said a month ago, it was a different team than last season, but we didn’t win any more games. We felt like the formula was to get a little better, character wise, and I felt we did.

“We tried to put a little more emphasis on the offensive line, which I felt like we did, but it didn’t translate into wins. So, at the end of the day, this season was a failure. We didn’t get to where we wanted to which was get in the playoffs and compete for a championship. We weren’t able to do that.”

The 52-year-old from Great Falls, Mont., is the older brother of Calgary Stampeders coach Dave Dickenson.

The Roughriders went 13-5 under Dickenson in 2019 and 9-5 in 2021. Saskatchewan lost to the eventual Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Division final both years.

The 2020 season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dickenson has also served on the coaching staffs of the Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Elks and Montreal Alouettes during his 20-plus years in the CFL. He won the Grey Cup with Calgary in 2008 and Edmonton in 2015.

O’Day, meanwhile, began his career as a player with the Roughriders in 1999. He joined the football operations staff in 2011.

“Jeremy has an excellent track record of identifying and bringing in quality talent to the Saskatchewan Roughriders with many players having gone on to have successful seasons including two 1,000-yard receivers in 2023,” Reynolds said.

“I am confident in his ability to find the next great head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and to put together a team Rider Nation can be proud of.”

(Canadian Press/Photo: Hannah Souster)

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Tom
Tom
1 year ago

Sounds like Reynolds is still the head poobah and that’s not going to sell many season tickets.

Olaf
Olaf
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom

how in the heck does that doufus Reynolds keep his job!!!!!!!!!! Have you heard the guy talk?????? he has 0 clue what is going on. As far as ODay is concerned, I am a 50/50 on that one. His big blunder the past 2 season has been how he has not been able to secure a good hard nosed OLine with him being an X Olineman.

Obama
Obama
1 year ago

Well I’m not renewing simple as that. Plenty of free and discounted tickets coming available. This is why Saskatchewan is racist no matter how woke they decide to act. Roy Shivers and Danny Barrett had the same mediocre record according to the Roughrider Historian and they made the playoffs. This team has been a dumpster fire and been on the slow decline until the absolute bottom fell out. Bringing in talent? You mean Garrett Marino and whatever else that guy can find on an afternoon USFL broadcast. How does O’Day get a contract extension and in turn Craig Reynolds when… Read more »

Chris Jones fan club member
Chris Jones fan club member
1 year ago

3 more years of not going to a Rider game! I was a longtime season ticket holder and refused last year to support this gong show with the arrogant Oday in charge. A lot of players don’t want to have anything to do with him just ask a few fellow Bombers! What an insult to fans this regime has become. Good luck with the empty seats the next 3 years you bunch of clowns you will not get one cent from me!!

Olaf
Olaf
1 year ago

I bet ODay is singing like a bird today. Just when he thought he was getting axed, he gets a contract extension. Thats the ole switcheroo. I guess him and Reynolds are members of the old cronnies club and are looked after by the board. I also will not be attending games in the future. Tickets are too expensive for the return you get on entertainment. I can sit at home and it cost me nothing to get super frustrated with the way the team plays and is run.

Paul
Paul
1 year ago

At least Jim Barker isn’t coming here as the GM,

Chris Jones fan club member
Chris Jones fan club member
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul

Do you watch football Paul? At least Jim Barker would be smart enough not to pay Anthony Lanier more money than you could have paid Willie Jefferson.

Olaf
Olaf
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul

listening to Barker on the TSN panel is a classic case of an idiot on TV. Listen to the guy, he is the biggest hillbilly on TV. By the way, it is time to change out most of the TSN football commentators. Suitor is turning out to be the most irritating announcer on any tv channel. It may be time to even find a different station to carry the CFL games. They way they operate is unreal with in booth interviews, bogus bad sideline interviews that both take away from listening and watching the game. Do the producers actually think… Read more »

Tom
Tom
1 year ago

The Board got one third of it right. Yep 33% correct. Just like the Riders record for the last two years 33%. Sounds like it’s time for a new Board of Directors.

BoltBoy
BoltBoy
1 year ago

And Craig Reynolds covers his a$$ again! Someone PLEASE point out another professional sports organization that has an ACCOUNTANT running it??!!

Thought so….. ..your Honour, I rest my case. I’m not renewing until that guy is back in Foam Lake. And pay close attention Board, YOU hired him!!!

Ryder
Ryder
1 year ago

Thats right – reward failure wlth a contract extension, just like working for the government.

Ryder
Ryder
1 year ago

if Harris is unable to play in 2024, he should be kept as the qb coach much as we should have done with Dinwiddie when we had the opportunity to keep him.

Paul
Paul
1 year ago

How come nobody has blamed Jason Shivers for the Riders worst in the CFL defence. They couldn’t stop the run. They couldn’t prevent passes being completed. They could not stop Nic Marshall giving up big plays because he was peaking into the backfield instead of watching the receiver. They were inept at tackling. They took too many penalties. Was Jason trying to get Dickie fired?