Craig Dickenson was named the Riders’ head coach on January 25, 2019 – becoming the 47th head coach in club history.
Dickenson is entering his eighth year in his second go-round with the Roughriders. Dickenson was the Special Teams Coordinator for the 2016-2018 seasons, moving to a dual role when he was named Head Coach. He also previously worked with the Riders special teams during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
In 2019, Dickenson coached the Roughriders to a 13-5 season, positioning them as the first-place team in the west division – and the third-best record in the Club’s history. He was named the West Division Coach of the Year for his leadership on and off the field. Over his two seasons as head coach, the Club has gone 22-10 and hosted two home playoff games, winning the first playoff game in new Mosaic Stadium on November 27, 2021.
In 2018, Dickenson’s special teams group played a key role in the Riders’ success. Kicker Brett Lauther connected on 90.0% of his field-goal attempts – the second-highest success rate in franchise history. The special teams unit tied a franchise record with four kick return touchdowns on the season, counting three on punt returns and one kickoff return.
Dickenson is in his 20th year as a CFL coach. Before returning to Saskatchewan in 2016, the product of Great Falls, Mont., spent two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos and one with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Dickenson also previously spent seven CFL seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, serving as their special-teams coordinator in five of those seasons, and one campaign with the Montreal Alouettes.
He is a two-time Grey Cup champion, having won CFL titles with the Eskimos in 2015 and the Stampeders in 2008.
The former University of Montana kicker also was a special-teams assistant for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders (in 2010) and the San Diego Chargers (2000-01). Before embarking on his pro coaching career, Dickenson also worked in the university ranks at Montana and Utah State.