Darrell Davis: Roughriders brain trust should have seen this disaster coming

So who’s in charge and what’s the plan? The first move is obvious …

Published Oct 22, 2023 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 3 minute read

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson communicates with his team during first half CFL action at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, October 21, 2023 in Regina. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ CFL season ended ignominiously Saturday, coming to a conclusion with considerably less suspense than a “Knives Out” movie.

And now that it’s over, capped by a 29-26 collapse against the Toronto Argonauts before the Roughriders’ smallest regular-season crowd in 17 years, why hasn’t anything been done?

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Hurry up! Show everyone there’s a plan in place. Dawdling through the process will simply make everyone wonder: Who is in charge?

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The first move is painfully obvious and could have been made before the players cleaned out their lockers Sunday, heading into a weird bye week that signals the end of their underwhelming season:

Send head coach Craig Dickenson and his assistants back to their normal lives right now, so they don’t have to watch more video, pretend to plan for next season, conduct painful exit interviews with the players or report to the Annual General Meeting that despite a roster makeover which created high expectations, the Roughriders completed their second straight campaign with another seven-game losing streak that kept them out of the playoffs for a second straight season. That’s bad coaching, when a team doesn’t improve as a season progresses.

General manager Jeremy O’Day has no choice but to remove the coaching staff. Unless he’s not going to be in charge …

There were plenty of times this season when O’Day could have made a bold move to ignite a team that was uninspired, unfit and unprepared while falling to its second straight 6-12 record. With himself and the head coach on expiring contracts, O’Day should have done something during the season-ending skid, like dumping a coach or an underperforming veteran to shake up their comfort zone, rather than crossing his fingers and hoping for an improvement.

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O’Day needs to show his boss, president/CEO Craig Reynolds, that there’s a succession plan in place. That a coaching search is underway. That Marc Trestman or Scott Milanovich or Ryan Phillips or Jordan Maksymic or Buck Pierce or Corey Mace or Jarious Jackson or Kent Austin — somebody! — wants to coach a fairly talented roster that simply didn’t respond to Dickenson’s congenial methods.

The Roughriders are a community-owned franchise, governed by a volunteer board. Hopefully the board met recently, demanding accountability from Reynolds, the franchise’s top, paid employee. And asking: What’s the plan? Why haven’t you started implementing it? Do you realize we’re trying to sell season tickets to a disenchanted fan base? We appreciate this franchise is making money, but on the field it has a losing record since you replaced Jim Hopson and we need to know how are you going to improve that?

It’s a long, complicated process to replace the president. Then the general manager. Then the coaches. This franchise can’t be in limbo that long.

The remaining brain trust should have an off-season plan ready to go because it must have seen this disaster unfolding. It should be ready for the cleanup. Is Reynolds staying? Does O’Day get to hire a second head coach? Have prospective coaches been contacted? Those are the questions that need to be answered quickly.

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In a typical whodunit, almost everyone is a suspect. Same with the Roughriders after they murdered this promising season with a battered offensive line that couldn’t protect high-priced quarterback Trevor Harris, who was ineffectively replaced by Mason Fine before Jake Dolegala stepped shakily into the breech and, while offensive coordinator Kelly Jeffrey ignored the running attack and receivers were dropping catchable balls, regressed to throwing four-yard outs as the team’s defence, which used to be guided effectively by coordinator Jason Shivers, fell apart because cornerback Nic Marshall simply didn’t care anymore, linebacker Derrick Moncrief got old, promising halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. got hurt and hard-working tackle Micah Johnson couldn’t inspire his teammates.

The Roughriders were 6-5 in September. As the losses followed one after another — just like last year! — it wasn’t a secret that something needed to be done, that a new plan needed to be put in place by whoever is in charge. It shouldn’t be a secret now: Who’s in charge and what’s the plan?