It was a direct question asked of a straightforward person.
“Should you win on Sunday, what will it mean to you?”
What Argonauts.ca wasn’t ready for was the reply; not the words so much as the way it was answered.
Head Coach Ryan Dinwiddie is a Type-A football coach. He’s committed to his players, his staff, and everyone in the organization. When he’s at the office there is zero question that he is completely devoted to all those around him, with a solitary goal of winning the Grey Cup.
When asked about the potential of winning Sunday’s championship game, Dinwiddie became uncharacteristically emotional; his bright blue eyes filling with tears, his voice quivering a bit.
“It would mean a lot to me,” he said before pausing, looking to compose himself. “More for our players, right? More for our management, right? They gave me this opportunity.”
It was a view of Ryan Dinwiddie that is not seen often, if ever, by those outside of his inner circle. There is absolutely no doubting his passion, but this was a rare time that he acknowledged just how important this game is to him, his team, and his family.
He’s football lifer, born and raised in Elk Grove, California. The northern part of The Golden State has been a hotbed for CFL talent, blessing the Argos with quarterbacks McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Ricky Ray.
It was in this environment that Dinwiddie became obsessed with the sport; starring at Elk Grove High School before heading to Boise State, where he would become a three-year starter.
After a year in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and a year in NFL Europe with the Hamburg Sea Devils, Dinwiddie headed north, playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he first became familiar with the Grey Cup. His first CFL start was in the championship game, getting the nod when Kevin Glenn was injured in the East Final against the Argos.
His teammates knew coaching was in his future. After coaching stops in Montreal and Calgary, Toronto General Manager Michael Clemons saw something he liked in Dinwiddie and hired him to become the Argos 45th Head Coach in December 2019.
In each of his two seasons he’s led the Argos to a first-place regular season finish and been named the East’s Coach of the Year. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, and even more work this week.
But is he having fun?
“Tons of fun, tons of fun,” he said, cracking a broad smile. “Now, some of the things that buys your time you don’t necessarily want to do, you want to prepare for the game, it is what it is. You’ve got to find ways to get prepared, which we’ve done. I feel good about where our plan is, I feel good where our players are. I feel good with our execution right now and I feel like our guys are focused.”
That’s been apparent since the club boarded its charter flight out of Pearson airport on Tuesday afternoon. This is a work trip for the group, though there is the possibility of a lot more distractions.
“I didn’t get it as an assistant coach, I got it when I played in the Grey Cup, and now you get it as a head coach. You have a lot of obligations that you have to do. A lot goes into this week, but at the same time I think we understand our focus is on the game. I feel like our players have been locked in, I feel like our players haven’t left their hotel rooms other than for meetings and meals. Our guys are totally focused on Sunday.”
It’s been rare to see an Argo player leave the hotel for anything other than food, though on Friday night the team went to a movie theatre as a group. It had been rented by Ja’Gared Davis, Shane Ray and Damontre Moore so everyone in the organization who wanted to go could watch a private screening of Black Panther.
That’s the kind of team that Dinwiddie and his staff have built.
“I feel like they’re coming together. They appreciate what each teammate is doing as far as sacrificing for the club. I think that’s where we need to be, and I think where we are as a football team. Guys have matured and understand that. I’m very appreciative of their mindset.”
Dinwiddie holds the dual portfolio of head coach and offensive coordinator. When asked if he liked the film of last week’s win over Montreal, he said he thought it was their best performance of the season.
If that kind of production can be replicated, the defence can play its usual solid game, and the special teams continue their strong play of late, Dinwiddie could have the chance to become emotional all over again on Sunday night.