The Redblacks successfully poached Ryan Dinwiddie, but there's still work to be done

Who’s the new head coach of the Ottawa Redblacks? Two-time Grey Cup champion and former Toronto Argonauts head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. But with the splashy news out of the way, is there optimism for Ottawa as the offseason truly begins?

(Image Credit to Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)

2024 saw the Ottawa Redblacks return to the CFL’s Grey Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2018.

2025 would surely be more of the same right? Right?

Wrong. Under then-head coach Bob Dyce, the Redblacks slumped back to where they were before, posting a 4-14 record. That would be the third time in four years the Redblacks won just four games in a season, while also serving as the fifth season out of the six following the 2018 season where the Redblacks won four games or less.

As a result, Bob Dyce would lose his job immediately following the conclusion of the team’s 2025 season.

The search for a new head coach, the team’s fourth in its twelve-year existence, would only take just under two weeks to complete. On November 5th, the Redblacks announced that Ryan Dinwiddie, who won two Grey Cups as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, would be hired as the team’s new head coach and as their general manager. His contract is set to last until the 2028 season.

Ryan Dinwiddie brings a winning mentality

When considering Ryan Dinwiddie’s resume, it makes sense for Redblacks fans to feel optimistic. Outside of the two Grey Cup wins, of his five seasons in charge, the 2025 season was the only one where Ryan Dinwiddie failed to get the Toronto Argonauts into the playoffs. In addition, the team would qualify for the East Final in all four seasons that they made the playoffs under Dinwiddie, while finishing first in the East Division in three of them. Overall, Ryan Dinwiddie has a 51-35 regular-season record coaching the Toronto Argonauts, while losing just twice in the playoffs.

His achievements can also be seen outside the head coaching role. While working as a quarterbacks coach with the Calgary Stampeders, he was able to get quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell two Most Outstanding Player awards (2016 and 2018). His performance also contributed to the Stampeders’ three Grey Cup appearances between 2016 and 2018, with the team winning the Grey Cup in 2018.

Considering the above, it’s safe to say success has followed Ryan Dinwiddie throughout his CFL career. A quarterback whisperer, offensive mastermind, whatever you may call him, he’s lived up to that.

The Redblacks? Might just be a brand new challenge.

Even with the big hire and the subsequent extension of Shawn Burke, the Redblacks’ Vice President of Football Operations, the road that takes Ottawa from this point to a second playoff berth in three seasons is still a treacherous one.

What does Dinwiddie have to do to get the Redblacks on the rails again?

The next big step is to fix the quarterback room. As of this writing, Ottawa has four quarterbacks: Dru Brown, Dustin Crum, Matthew Shiltz, and Tyrie Adams.

We’ve seen what Dru Brown, Zach Collaros’ former protege in Winnipeg, is capable of. Look no further than the 2024 season, where Dru Brown led the league in many statistical categories; he finished third in passing yards and fifth in passing touchdowns. The offence as a whole underwent a renaissance that year as well, pushing the team to a 9-8-1 record and its best full-season performance since 2018.

The problem doesn’t lie there. Sure, he’s had his fair share of injuries and inconsistency in 2025, but that was only part of the problem for Ottawa.

The major problem lies with the other three. This isn’t a slight to any of the three quarterbacks. However, Dustin Crum is on an expiring contract, Tyrie Adams only has a handful of games under his belt, and Matthew Shiltz struggled mightily in his few appearances this year.

The good news? All three are on expiring contracts. That gives the front office the chance to properly evaluate their quarterback room surrounding Dru Brown and to assess key names across the CFL and their potential fit with the organisation.

The bad news? Dustin Crum is also starting-calibre. The Crumback? Never heard of her? Well, I talked about that. Outside of that game, he’s had some strong performances when given the opportunity to play and has worked as the team’s short-yardage option throughout his three years in Canada’s capital.

As much as having two solid quarterbacks is a good thing, it’s another thing to be able to pay both of them starter money. With much of the roster requiring a fix-up (more on this later), money might be tight in terms of quarterback spending.

If I was Dinwiddie, I would let Shiltz walk and prioritize signing Dustin Crum, while also keeping tabs on quarterbacks across the league that would be of interest. I could see the team bookmarking names like Tre Ford in Edmonton, and Zach Collaros could be a veteran option via trade if Winnipeg looks to the future. Laugh at me if you will, but I’ll laugh back in another piece on this topic.

Another big issue to address? The offence, whose performance took a big dip from 2024. While both Eugene Lewis and Justin Hardy cracked 1000 receiving yards, the rest of the offence was pedestrian at best. Justin Hardy is set to hit the open market, so keeping him on board will be of the utmost importance.

Elsewhere, running backs Daniel Adeboboye and William Stanback are set to hit free agency. I could see the team investing in Daniel Adeboboye, but William Stanback has struggled to live up to his performance in BC and Montreal. There are big names for the taking in this year’s free agent class, including Brady Oliveira (depending on the behind-the-scenes action), but it would take a big contract to get someone of his calibre.

What is of interest to me is if Ryan Dinwiddie can poach some of his offensive contributors from the Argonauts. Dejon Brissett, David Ungerer, and DaVaris Daniels are all set to hit free agency, and getting one of them to head east would be a big boost for a talented Redblacks receiving room. Janarion Grant should also be considered; his signing would allow for the Redblacks to reduce the need for pulling wide receivers into the special teams game.

The same is true for the defence. The likes of Wynton McManis and Isaac Darkangelo played key roles in the Argonauts’ Grey Cup run in 2024; given the Redblacks struggled in stopping the run and in the pass rush department, these two players should be on the top of Ryan Dinwiddie’s free agent shopping list.

My expectations

Ryan Dinwiddie’s arrival in Ottawa, in addition to the resulting influx of experience on a coaching roster devoid of it, should easily push the Redblacks to an extra few wins in the 2026 regular season.

With a couple of significant additions and the re-signing of Dustin Crum, Ottawa could find themselves at the front of the playoff race in 2026.

Personally, as someone who’s spent the better part of three years living in Ottawa and who’s spent over four years following this team, I’ve been able to come to grips with the team’s struggles and how they’ve held Ottawa football back for so long. I’ve known to hope for the best but expect the worst, something that’s defined Redblacks football since 2018.

Is that changing? Likely not overnight.

Is there hope? With Ryan Dinwiddie’s hiring, there most certainly is.

It’s now up to Dinwiddie and Co. to build the best possible roster and to bring the Redblacks back to contention for the long term.

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Article written by Noah Guttman © Noah Guttman 2025