The contract lengths of CFL coaches and personnel people used to be irrelevant. If someone was fired, teams faced no ramifications beyond paying out the remaining value of their deal. Aside from a few hurt feelings, it didn’t matter. It happened all the time.
That all changed a few years ago when the league implemented the much-maligned operations cap, which limits the number of non-player football personnel a team can hire and how much they can be paid. Coaches, general managers, scouts, equipment staff, and video personnel are all subject to the cap — even those who’ve been fired mid-contract.
This has resulted in staff members getting a little more leeway when things aren’t going well, especially if their contracts have multiple years remaining. Before the operations cap, head coaches were often fired after one bad season. Remember when the Montreal Alouettes canned Dan Hawkins after five games?
Nowadays, it’s completely different. Coaches and general managers are getting more time to try to turn things around because the operations cap makes it impractical to fire them. Teams get one “freebie” — a firing that doesn’t count against the cap — though that’s hardly sufficient if a team needs to clean house. The league has reportedly considered adding a second one, though a spokesperson didn’t confirm when asked for clarification.
It’s also becoming common for coaches and general managers to work into the final years of their contracts, which used to be exceedingly rare. Craig Dickenson coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the final year of his deal this past season, while Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ general manager Kyle Walters didn’t get an extension beyond 2023 until after his team lost the Grey Cup.
Given that a number of teams don’t announce the lengths of contracts for head coaches or general managers — or, in some cases, that an extension has been signed at all — 3DownNation sought to set the record straight via videoconference during the league’s recent off-season winter meetings. Here’s what we learned.
B.C. Lions
HC Rick Campbell — 2025
GM Neil McEvoy — 2025
B.C. has plenty of stability moving forward as their brain trust is locked up for the next two years. This seems fitting given that the club has finished 12-6 in back-to-back seasons and come close to earning a Grey Cup berth through the West Division.
McEvoy has been with the Lions since 1995 when he joined the team in the ticket sales department. He also serves as B.C.’s director of football operations, which he indicated carries a separate contract.
“I started (with the Lions) when I was 21,” McEvoy said with a chuckle. “I’m institutionalized.”
Though not listed above, it should be noted that Campbell also has the title of co-general manager.
Calgary Stampeders
HC/GM Dave Dickenson — Unclear
The 50-year-old has been coaching with the Stampeders since 2009 and joked about being a “lifer” with the club, though he refused to answer questions regarding his contract status despite being asked multiple times.
“We know we’re in the year-to-year business,” he said. “I’ll just keep some information myself and go from there.”
Multiple sources close to Dickenson indicated they don’t know the length of his contract. The club hasn’t announced any extensions for Dickenson since 2017, even when he took on the added role of general manager this past season.
It seems like Calgary’s desire to hide his status has changed since the implementation of the CFL operations cap. That could be a coincidence, but it doesn’t feel like one.
Edmonton Elks
HC/GM Chris Jones — 2025
The 56-year-old native of South Pittsburg, Tenn. signed a four-year deal when he became the head coach and general manager of the Elks in 2022, though there’s been considerable confusion regarding the nature of the contract.
Initially, it was reported that Jones didn’t sign a traditional four-year deal, but a series of one-year contracts that would provide Edmonton with an easy out if they wanted to replace him. This was presumably done to avoid a similar situation to the one that played out following the 2021 season when general manager Brock Sunderland and head coach Jaime Elizondo were both fired with a number of years left of their deals.
Former president and CEO Victor Cui reportedly redid the deal following the 2022 season to provide him with more security, which didn’t become clear until after the Elks struggled out of the gate in 2023, losing eight straight games.
Regardless, Jones confirmed to 3DownNation that he remains under contract with the Elks through 2025.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
HC Corey Mace — 2026
GM Jeremy O’Day — 2026
Saskatchewan announced the length of its new contracts with O’Day and Mace, so there was no need for sleuthing here.
Mace spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator with the Toronto Argonauts and is looking to put his stamp on a team that missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. It seems possible that he’ll look to recruit a number of his former players to Riderville, though Argos’ general manager Mike ‘Pinball’ Clemons doesn’t seem overly concerned about it.
As for O’Day, many seemed surprised when he remained the team’s general manager and vice president of football operations following the 2023 season, though one could argue that he deserved the chance to hire his own head coach. There’s plenty of work still to be done, though the early consensus appears to be that Mace is a home-run hire.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
HC Mike O’Shea — 2025
GM Kyle Walters — 2025
Like their prairie rivals, Winnipeg announced the length of both of these contracts, so they were already public knowledge.
O’Shea and Walters are both tied to the franchise through 2025 when Winnipeg will host the 112th Grey Cup at IG Field, which doesn’t seem like a coincidence. The club also has franchise quarterback Zach Collaros and local star Nic Demski under contract through that same year, setting the foundation for a team that will look to win a championship on home soil for the first time.
One immediate question facing the Blue Bombers is whether or not Winnipegger and CFL all-star Brady Oliveira will join them. The physical running back is set to become a free agent next month and the club isn’t close to reaching an extension with him.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
HC Scott Milanovich — Unclear
GM Ed Hervey — Unclear
Milanovich and Hervey, both of whom spent this past season in Hamilton but are new to their respective roles for 2024, declined to reveal how long they’re under contract on what are presumably new deals.
“With the Ticats, we don’t disclose that information,” said Hervey. “That’s a great question, but I can tell you that we wouldn’t talk about it.”
Hamilton also didn’t announce the length of the contract Orlondo Steinauer signed in 2020, so this policy doesn’t appear to be new. It also doesn’t seem fan-friendly, as the faithful in Steeltown surely deserve to know the status of those tasked with leading their team.
Toronto Argonauts
HC Ryan Dinwiddie — 2026
GM Mike ‘Pinball’ Clemons — 2026
The Argos have rock-solid long-term stability with Dinwiddie, Clemons, and franchise quarterback Chad Kelly locked up for the next three seasons.
“The pressure’s on you to win the championship every year but we’ve got a three-year run at it and we’re already getting going,” said Dinwiddie. “We’ve been working with Chad and we’ve been talking and finding ways we can improve. He’s in Toronto year round and I’m excited about it and I’m excited about the direction our organization’s going.”
Clemons seemed to imply he wouldn’t want to be paid out if the team chose to replace him as GM. If the Argonauts ever desired to move on, which seems unlikely based on the level of success they’ve enjoyed over the past few seasons, it seems fair to speculate Clemons would offer to resign instead of being fired, foregoing the money left on his deal.
“I don’t ever want to put this team that has meant so much to me and this league that has meant so much to me in a difficult place. I do this because I love it and as long as we’re experiencing success and I can make a tangible difference I will, but I have no challenge in moving and stepping and doing something else,” said Clemons.
“I had a pretty good life before I came back (to the Argonauts in a full-time role) and so I don’t mind going back to it. I just feel that Canada and the Canadian Football League have been one of the greatest blessings in my life and I would hope that I would always keep the best interest of the team and the league in mind as I move forward.”
Ottawa Redblacks
HC Bob Dyce — 2025
GM Shawn Burke — 2025
The Redblacks are coming off another disappointing season, though they have plenty of stability with Dyce and Burke under contract for the next two seasons.
Dyce’s team went 4-14 in his first year at the helm, though injuries at the quarterback position put him and his team in a difficult spot. Jeremiah Masoli tore his Achilles and Tyrie Adams suffered a torn ACL, leaving rookie Dustin Crum to start 14 games under centre.
Ottawa recently renegotiated its contract with Masoli, creating plenty of cap space to add Dru Brown via free agency if they desire. Don’t be surprised if the 26-year-old winds up in the nation’s capital.
Montreal Alouettes
HC Jason Maas — 2026
GM Danny Maciocia — 2027
The Alouettes signed Maas and Maciocia to contract extensions following the team’s upset win in the Grey Cup, giving them the most long-term stability of any team in the CFL.
Maas has now won a CFL championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach and the 48-year-old native of Beaver Dam, Wis. indicated he considers the most recent to be the most satisfying.
“I don’t know if anything tops being a head coach and being a part of every decision throughout the season and kind of molding things together with the team and with Danny,” he said. “With how special this year was, I would still rank this one as the top but they all hold a different meaning and feeling for me.”
