Calgary Stampeders’ Dave Dickenson acknowledges challenges of being CFL head coach and GM

Dave Dickenson is the only remaining CFL head coach who also holds the title of general manager and it appears the workload is starting to wear on him.

“(Having both jobs is) challenging, no doubt about it. Trying to stay on top of our roster, I really need to lean on some other guys,” said Dickenson. “The challenging part is that what we’re doing doesn’t seem to be working, so you can’t just put your head in the sand. You’ve gotta change and you’ve gotta find different ways hopefully to get with the players but also make a difference and give them the best chance to win.”

Chris Jones served as the head coach and general manager of the Edmonton Elks until he was fired in mid-July. He went 26-10 during his first tenure with the team when he held only the role of head coach, winning a Grey Cup in 2015. Over subsequent stints as the head coach and general manager in Saskatchewan and Edmonton, he achieved far less success, posting a record of 35-60.

Dickenson led the Calgary Stampeders to a record of 73-29 over his first six seasons as the club’s head coach, making three straight Grey Cup appearances with one win. Since he took on the added role of general manager in 2023, Calgary has gone 10-20 and is at risk of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The 51-year-old native of Great Falls, Mont. isn’t accustomed to losing, yet his team is riding a four-game losing skid after getting swept in the annual Labour Day home-and-home against the rival Elks for the first time in 20 years. Though Dickenson denied there’s any in-fighting taking place, it’s clear everyone in the organization is feeling the pressure.

“I think all of us know that we’re in the winning business and when you don’t win, you do get a little bit uneasy and stress levels go up,” he said. “Maybe you don’t sleep as well and maybe you press a little bit. Those are all things that I think are human nature but we’ve gotta just try to focus on our job. I think if you can do your job, do it a little better — hopefully, we’ll get on track and get some wins.”

Franchise quarterback Jake Maier was benched after throwing four interceptions in the Labour Day Classic, giving way to Logan Bonner. The second-year passer threw five interceptions in his first career start this past week, making it appear as though Maier is likely to return to the starting role against Montreal.

Aside from the team’s problems under centre, Dickenson believes his team is “a little light in the Canadians.” Veteran special teamer William Langlais has been on the six-game injured list all season, while starting offensive linemen Zack Williams and Bryce Bell have recently missed time due to injury. However, four of the team’s starting Canadians — Jalen Philpot, Clark Barnes, Sean McEwen, and Cameron Judge — have been healthy all year.

The Stampeders sit three points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand on the rest of the West Division, so it’s clear Dickenson isn’t ready to throw in the towel anytime soon. Regardless, his team will need to start stringing victories together if they hope to earn yet another berth in the postseason.

“It’s still about playing winning football, making the plays, winning the turnover battle, playing with poise. I don’t think that’s changed. I just don’t think we’re doing the right things and not playing with enough confidence,” he said. “We’re working hard — no one’s happy with where we’re at, though. We’ve just gotta play better and try to find a win.”

The Calgary Stampeders (4-8) will host the Montreal Alouettes (10-2) on Saturday, Sept. 14 with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. EDT.