The 2023 CFL season is about to enter its fourth week and not every head coach is sleeping easy at night.
It was after Week 4 that the first coaching casualty fell a year ago, when the Montreal Alouettes axed Khari Jones after a 1-3 start to the season. While that move seemed pre-destined long before the announcement, several teams have come out of the gate much worse this year and not everyone on the sideline has the goodwill to survive it.
With that in mind, here is a look at how much heat is under the butt of each of the nine CFL head coaches right now.
Mike O’Shea, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Temperature: Ice Cold
An early season loss to the B.C. Lions was a major upset but it certainly didn’t sow any doubt in the Winnipeg sideline. With three Grey Cup appearances and a pair of victories in the past four years, O’Shea is currently a cut above the rest of the CFL coaching fraternity and recently signed a three-year contract extension — unlike general manager Kyle Walters. It’s safe to say that he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Dave Dickenson, Calgary Stampeders
Temperature: Frigid
Without a playoff win since 2018 and facing a disappointing 1-2 start to the season, outsiders might argue that the heat deserves to be turned up on Dickenson. However, the freshly-appointed general manager certainly isn’t going to fire himself and neither is president John Hufnagel. The Stampeders’ organization has a well-earned reputation for maintaining the status quo and their inevitable decline will have to come to a head before anyone even thinks of making a change.
Ryan Dinwiddie, Toronto Argonauts
Temperature: Frosty
It’s easy to forget that the last head coach to steer the good ship Argo to a Grey Cup win was fired only a year later, but Dinwiddie probably bought himself more time than that with his victory last November. He’s the league’s youngest head coach at just 41 years old and commands one of the most talented rosters, with a 2-0 start to vouch for his talent. As long as Toronto keeps dominating the East, his job is safe.
Rick Campbell, B.C. Lions
Temperature: Chilly
There isn’t a coach in the league more boring than Campbell, but his handling of a team that lost a generational talent in Nathan Rourke has been masterful. B.C.’s bench boss can sometimes believe in players to a fault, but it has paid off big time with Vernon Adams Jr. After knocking off the Bombers, the Lions are now the early Grey Cup frontrunners and Campbell’s slow-and-steady approach to team-building could win them the race.
Jason Maas, Montreal Alouettes
Temperature: Comfortable
New head coaches have a certain level of baked-in job security under the football operations cap and Montreal is in no position to move on from Maas anytime soon. Early indications are they won’t want to either, as the Alouettes have defied preseason expectations and flown out to an impressive 2-0 start. If they can keep up that pace, Maas’ stock will only rise.
Bob Dyce, Ottawa Redblacks
Temperature: Warm
It might not be fair but Dyce doesn’t have quite the same leeway as other new head coaches due to his time as the interim boss last year and the poor state of the organization. General manager Shawn Burke bet on the veteran special teams coordinator to be a leader of men but can ill-afford to see his franchise’s playoff drought extended. The Redblacks will get some grace for their 0-2 start due to the absence of franchise quarterback Jeremiah Masoli but Dyce being one-and-done is a realistic possibility if things don’t improve with his return.
Craig Dickenson, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Temperature: Toasty
The Roughriders have looked much improved to begin the 2023 season, but this is the same team that was 4-1 a year ago before their utter collapse. Both Dickenson and general manager Jeremy O’Day are still staring down expiring contracts and are under pressure to perform consistently, not just in the early going. Two West Division wins have poured some water on Dickenson’s seat but only a winning record at the end of the season will truly cool it off.
Chris Jones, Edmonton Elks
Temperature: Boiling
Don’t be fooled by the four-year contract touted upon his hiring, Jones is actually on four separate one-year deals and can be given the boot without incurring any cumbersome penalties to the football operations cap. President Victor Cui has preached patience regarding the head coach and general manager’s complete rebuild, but he can’t afford to have the record home losing streak continue to undermine his marketing push. After betting his job on Taylor Cornelius, Jones will be the first casualty unless he finds a competent quarterback soon.
Orlondo Steinauer, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Temperature: Scalding
Unthinkable just a few years ago, Steinauer is in serious jeopardy of following Kent Austin’s path out of Steeltown. The team has gotten significantly worse every year since the electric 2019 campaign and a pair of QB choices as president of football operations — first betting on Dane Evans as the starter, then acquiring a broken-down Bo Levi Mitchell — have called his decision-making into question. An 0-3 start after the franchise with the longest Grey Cup drought in the league went on a spending spree in the hopes of winning a title at home is not a good look, and the organization already has a qualified potential replacement under contract in Scott Milanovich. In the absence of any signs of life, Bob Young and Scott Mitchell could act fast.
