Ryan Dinwiddie speaks at a press conference after being named as the new head coach and general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks CFL team in Ottawa, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
Redblacks president Adrian Sciarra speaks at a press conference after Ryan Dinwiddie is named as the new head coach and general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks CFL team in Ottawa, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
Ryan Dinwiddie speaks at a press conference after being named as the new head coach and general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks CFL team in Ottawa, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
GAC
Redblacks president Adrian Sciarra speaks at a press conference after Ryan Dinwiddie is named as the new head coach and general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks CFL team in Ottawa, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
OTTAWA - The Ottawa Redblacks are confident they鈥檝e found the leader who can restore pride, direction and competitiveness to a franchise that鈥檚 struggled to find its footing in recent years.
On Thursday, the Redblacks, who have just one playoff appearance over the last six seasons, officially introduced Ryan Dinwiddie as their new head coach and general manager, signalling what team executives described as the start of a new era for the organization.聽
Dinwiddie, who spent the past five seasons as head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, will also take on offensive coordinator duties, marking the first time in his career that he鈥檒l hold all three roles.
The 44-year-old led the Argos to a 51-35 record, won two Grey Cup titles and earned Coach of the Year honours in 2023.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in a pivotal time in our franchise鈥檚 history,鈥 said Redblacks president, Adrian Sciarra. 鈥淲e need to be better. We know that. Finding a coach who can come in on day one, command the room, been there and done that and drive us forward. That was our priority.鈥
Dinwiddie鈥檚 hiring comes with structural changes at the top of the football operations department.聽
Shawn Burke, who served as general manager for the past three seasons, has been promoted to vice-president of football operations and extended through the 2028 season. The move allows Burke to oversee the broader football infrastructure, including scouting, contracts, and operations, while Dinwiddie focuses on roster construction and on-field performance.
鈥淢any teams have a VP of football operations and a general manager already,鈥 Sciarra explained. 鈥淏y bringing Ryan in this role and giving him authority over the roster as the general manager, certainly he needs the support of football operations to give him the tools needed to manage both jobs. Shawn and the entire staff will do that to make sure that he can balance.鈥
The process to secure Dinwiddie unfolded quickly. Ottawa received permission to speak with the Argonauts on Monday, held interviews Tuesday and Wednesday and finalized the deal shortly thereafter. Sciarra emphasized they wanted to move quickly once both parties were in agreement.
For Dinwiddie, the opportunity to take on expanded leadership responsibilities made Ottawa the right fit.
鈥淧atience isn鈥檛 a virtue for me,鈥 Dinwiddie said. 鈥淭he opportunity came about and I just felt it was the right thing to do. I wanted to get to work and there鈥檚 no reason to wait a few weeks and see what else is out there. I knew this was the place for me and this is where I wanted to be. It鈥檚 a no-brainer and now we got a head start on the off-season.鈥
He acknowledged that expectations are high, and that accountability ultimately falls to him.
鈥淭he honeymoon part鈥檚 over now, we鈥檝e got to put our boots on the ground and go to work,鈥 Dinwiddie said. 鈥淲e already got a head start on that the last few days. You鈥檙e judged off wins and losses. We鈥檙e hungry to turn this thing turned around. Redblacks Nation, they deserve that.鈥
Dinwiddie is looking forward to a collaborative relationship with Burke, highlighting that the two share a vision for how to rebuild the team.
鈥淣o egos,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do what鈥檚 best for the football club and we鈥檒l do that collectively. I have a lot to lean on Shawn about. He鈥檚 been doing this a long, long time.鈥
Burke described Dinwiddie as a 鈥渨inner鈥 and the clear choice from the start.
鈥淚 think we can all establish that Ryan's a very competitive person, and I think that's what you need as the leader of your organization,鈥 Burke said. 鈥淎nd make no mistake, the coach is the leader of the organization. And his competitive mindset, his will to win, is just second to none that I see from anyone in the league.鈥
As Dinwiddie settles into his new role, his focus will quickly turn to evaluating the roster, building relationships with players, and preparing for the 2026 season.聽
After years of frustration, the Redblacks are chasing stability and success and believe this move marks the beginning of meaningful change in the nation鈥檚 capital.
This report by 好色tvwas first published Nov. 6, 2025.