Dickenson to return as Stampeders head coach/GM

CALGARY – Dave Dickenson will return as coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders next season, getting another chance to turn the team’s fortunes around after it missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

A Stampeders official confirmed Dickenson’s return to The Canadian Press on Wednesday.

Dickenson, a former star quarterback with Calgary and the B.C. Lions, has been the Stampeders’ head coach since 2016. He added general manager to his duties in 2023.

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The Stampeders made the playoffs in his first seven years and advanced to the Grey Cup in his first three, winning in 2018.

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But the Stampeders haven’t won a playoff game since and have missed in two of the four seasons since Dickenson became GM. Their failure to make the post-season in 2024 ended a 19-year playoff streak.

Calgary finished 9-9 despite scoring a league-high 632 points. The Stampeders allowed 587 points, the second-most in the CFL behind Ottawa, and went 4-5 at McMahon Stadium.

Calgary was eliminated from playoff contention in the final week of the regular season when Winnipeg rallied to beat B.C. while the Stampeders were on a bye.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2026.