18 hours Ago By Don Brennan
Share this Story : 'No-brainer' contract extension for Ottawa Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Ottawa Redblacks Sports Football CFL 'No-brainer' contract extension for Ottawa Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce "Obviously, there's nowhere else I'd like to be coaching right now than Ottawa." Author of the article: Don Brennan Published Apr 03, 2025 • Last updated 11 minutes ago • 4 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.
A file photo of Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce during training camp in 2024. Dyce's contract with the team now runs through the 2026 CFL season. Photo by Ashley Fraser / POSTMEDIA Article content There will be no “lame duck” on the menu at TD Place this football season.
Either way would have been fine with Bob Dyce. Oh, the 59-year-old Winnipeg native wouldn’t have ordered it, but it’s not like he’s allergic to working through the last year of his contract. “I grew up as a position coach, and you’re on one-year contracts,” Dyce said on Thursday after the Ottawa Redblacks announced that they had signed their head coach to an extension through the 2026 Canadian Football League season.
“You’re working and busting your hump to do whatever you can. You’re not worried about what the next year has in store. You’re working hard to get better for the next season.
That’s the same way I would have approached it if I didn’t have the extension. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
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Activate your Online Access Now Article content “I know there is a term, lame duck, but I think, if anyone you talk to in this business, they’re focused on the now and not worried, per se, about the future. If you do things correctly and you work your process, those goals take care of themselves.” Dyce, who took over as the Redblacks’ sideline boss when Paul LaPolice was fired in October 2022, had the interim tag removed two months later.
In 2024, his second full campaign in the position, the Redblacks finished 9-8-1 and made it to the playoffs for the first time in six years. They lost to the eventual Grey Cup champion Toronto Argos in the East Division semifinal, but the progress the team made under Dyce’s guidance was magnified by the fact that, in the previous four seasons, they had a combined record of 14-54. “It’s not so much the year,” Dyce said of the extension.
“The thing for me is it just shows the belief that, obviously, Sean (Burke, Redblacks general manager) and the ownership and the players have in what we’re building here. We’ve put a lot of work into that, and we’re excited to see where we’re going to go. We’re excited to take the next step, next season, and finish our ultimate goal.
We’re working hard every day to bring the Grey Cup back to Ottawa.” Sports Get the latest sport headlines and breaking news. There was an error, please provide a valid email address.
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Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content NO END IN SIGHT As someone who has been with the Redblacks since signing on as special-teams co-ordinator in 2016, Dyce is almost a part of the furniture at TD Place. He’s the oldest head coach in the CFL — only Winnipeg’s Mike O’Shea (54), Calgary’s Dave Dickenson (52) and Hamilton’s Scott Milanovich (52) are also in their sixth decades — but he’s fit, energetic and a young 59.
How long does he want to keep coaching? Dyce has joked (we think) that one day he could work under his son Trysten, who is in his first year as Edmonton Elks running backs coach and offensive assistant after four seasons on the B.C. Lions’ staff.
His youngest daughter, Ava, recently enrolled at the University of Ottawa. “I stay in the moment,” Dyce said when asked about retirement. “I feel like a young guy, so I’m going to keep coaching as long as I feel that way and I’m working hard and these (players) are doing the things we need to do to be successful.
Hopefully that’s going to be for a long time. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “When you’re in an environment like this, where you have very supportive owners and a very stable organization, and you’re in a city like Ottawa that is very passionate about their football team, it’s a great environment to be in.
Obviously, there’s nowhere else I’d like to be coaching right now than Ottawa. I love the city. It’s going to be fantastic to have (Ava) here, and working with Sean makes this job pleasurable.
We have a great relationship, and we continue to look forward to seeing that grow, and hopefully many championships as well.” EASY CALL Asked about his own contract status, Burke said he wanted to keep the spotlight on his coach, but did say the two remain “aligned,” so his deal runs through 2026 as well. He also called it a “complete no-brainer” to give Dyce an extension.
Ottawa Redblacks general manager Shawn Burke. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia “I just think he’s done a great job,” Burke said. “For from my end, what you want to see is where we are coming from, this organization is a progress and a plan, and somewhere where we’re headed.
We’re not satisfied by any means. Ultimately bigger goals, but you start someplace, and you start with a foundation, and who he is as a person, leading our organization, working with me in partnership daily. I have just thoroughly enjoyed it.
” Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We want to be here,” he added. “We don’t have any higher pinnacles of trying to get to the NFL to be a head coach or general manager.
We’re damn proud of being a head coach and a general manager with Canadian heritage in our league, and we take this job seriously. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and what he builds culturally, not only for our football team, but our organization and this community.” BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Ask a player what he thinks about his head coach, even off the record, and there’s no way he’s going to speak negatively about him.
But what do Redblacks say to Burke about Dyce? “I think there’s sometimes a notion that all the players love him, that Bob would be a pushover, and that’s the furthest thing,” Burke said. “I think everyone that’s here daily, including you (media) guys, would know that Bob’s got the delicate balance of intensity, but care and compassion for his players. That’s why we’re so alike.
It’s our belief in how you do things and how you build the organization with people and the players are the biggest component of that.” Recommended from Editorial It's a wait-and-see approach for Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk Ottawa Charge moves back into PWHL playoff spot with second straight win over Boston Fleet Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : 'No-brainer' contract extension for Ottawa Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion.
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