The Ottawa REDBLACKS sent shockwaves through the Canadian football world last week when they announced that Ryan Dinwiddie has been named the club’s new Head Coach and General Manager.
The former Argos head coach brings an undisputable winning pedigree to the nation’s capital. Dinwiddie’s impressive head coaching resume includes two grey cup championships, three East Division championships, four East Final appearances and an Argos franchise record 16-win-season and a 51-35 overall record.
Dinwiddie has built that success on his competitive spirit, attention to detail and offensive acumen. Widely regarded as one of the CFL’s premier offensive minds, he has shown a proven ability to get the most out of his teams, especially when it comes to the most important player on the field, the quarterback. Dating back to his time as Calgary’s quarterbacks coach, Dinwiddie has worked closely with Bo Levi Mitchell, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and Chad Kelly—each of whom enjoyed their most productive and decorated seasons under his guidance. Both Kelly and Mitchell captured the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award during their time with Dinwiddie.
That track record should bode well for Dru Brown, who is the only pivot under contract heading into 2026 and while injuries hampered his 2025 campaign, Brown has already shown flashes of high-end talent and poise at the CFL level. If the REDBLACKS can keep him healthy, he appears poised for a big year in 2026. At his introductory press conference, Dinwiddie expressed excitement about working with Brown while stressing that the health of the quarterback will be an organizational priority.
To facilitate the move to Ottawa, Dinwiddie was also given the General Manager title, with Shawn Burke moving up to the Vice President of Football Operations. While Dinwiddie will have final say on roster decisions, both sides emphasized that the process will be collaborative—a model Burke noted is consistent with structures he’s worked in previously, both in Ottawa and during his tenure in Hamilton.
Over the coming days and weeks, Dinwiddie will turn his attention to assembling his coaching staff, evaluating both internal and external candidates. He indicated that there are members of his former Toronto staff—and possibly others around the league—whom he intends to speak with regarding opportunities in Ottawa.
It has been reported that current REDBLACKS defensive coordinator Will Fields has another year remaining on his contract and has success working with the new head coach in the past, serving on Dinwiddie’s staff for both of his Grey Cup championships in Toronto, both as a co-defensive coordinator (2024) and secondary coach (2022).
Looking even further into the coming months, Dinwiddie faces a significant first offseason. Alongside Burke, he’ll work to assess pending free agents both around the league and in-house, diagnose key areas of need on both sides of the ball and identify talent to supplement the pieces that are already in place. As everyone involved has consistently mentioned since the final whistle sounded at Hamilton Stadium in October, keeping the quarterback healthy is the top priority for an organization looking to build towards a successful 2026.
With their Head Coach and General Manager now in place, the REDBLACKS begin a new chapter in the nation’s capital, with the goal of bringing sustained success and a Grey Cup championship back to TD Place.