Craig Dickenson will return as the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 2023 season, the team announced on Tuesday.
“Craig is an excellent coach, a strong leader and truly represents the values of the Saskatchewan Roughriders,” said general manager and vice-president of football operations Jeremy O’Day in a statement.
“Throughout his last four seasons I have watched as he worked hard to bring out the best in our players on and off the field. I know he is committed as I am to bring a championship-caliber team to the field in 2023.”
The Riders failed to make the playoffs under Dickenson this year after posting a 6-12 record in the regular season. He identified three games that led to his team’s season-ending collapse, which featured seven consecutive losses to finish the year.
Dickenson led the club to back-to-back appearances in the West Final in 2019 and 2021, posting a 22-10 regular season record. He was also nominated for the CFL’s Coach of the Year award in 2019, though he lost out at the league level to Orlondo Steinauer of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Saskatchewan also announced that O’Day will return for his 25th year with the organization and fifth in his current role. He joined the Riders as a player in 1999 and played 12 seasons along the offensive line before transitioning to a position in football operations in 2011.
The 48-year-old won a Grey Cup as a rookie with the Toronto Argonauts in 1997, another as a player with Saskatchewan in 2007, and a third as the team’s assistant general manager in 2013. He was promoted to his current role in January 2019 following the departure of Chris Jones to the NFL.
“Jeremy is a lifelong Roughrider, who cares deeply about the success of the organization and knows firsthand what success means to our fan base,” said president and CEO Craig Reynolds. “He is a proven winner throughout his career, and I wholeheartedly believe he has the talent, knowledge, and vision to move forward and build a winning team in 2023.”
Dickenson and O’Day are both under contract with the club through the 2023 season.
