By 3DF Staff
Following the August long weekend, the CFL is beginning to take shape, with some teams emerging as contenders while others struggle to find consistency. Losing records can come for many reasons, from injuries and bad luck to difficult stretches in the schedule.
But eventually, the spotlight turns to the head coach.
Coaches are hired to be fired, and this season is no exception. With several teams underperforming expectations, management and ownership may soon have to make difficult decisions about whether it is time to change direction.
This article is not intended to promote hatred, disrespect, or personal criticism toward any individual. The assessments are strictly sports related opinions based on team performance and are intended to examine potential decisions that could help improve CFL teams.
#1 Ryan Dinwiddie – Ottawa Redblacks
Coach Ryan Dinwiddie may have found himself in over his head following an awful start to the 2026 season, with the team still searching for its first win.
Dinwiddie, 45, is facing growing scrutiny as both head coach and general manager, and at least one position within the organization could be in jeopardy.
Sources close to OSEG have advised us that management is facing concerns, while some fans are already demanding change. However, that change may not necessarily come at the head coaching position, it could instead involve the general manager’s role.
Dinwiddie also has to take some heat for the team’s roster management, most notably the handling of quarterback Dru Brown, which clearly hung a cloud over the team’s start to the season.
The organization has been trying to bring in reinforcements and has been one of the more active teams moving players on and off its negotiation list. One can also see that the Redblacks appear to be fans of our 3DF player evaluations, as they have added several prospects who have been highly regarded in our evaluations.
The feeling outside the organization is that Dinwiddie’s job remains safe. We believe that is the case for now, but by November, that situation could look very different.
#2 Buck Pierce – BC Lions
Buck Pierce entered his second season on a relatively positive note, finishing 11-7 and coming within one game of participating in the Grey Cup. However, the 2026 season has not gone according to plan.
You can put some of the blame on the Lions being displaced from their home stadium for more than two months, a situation that would understandably affect any team. However, the Lions have not looked good on either side of the ball from the start of the season, and their star quarterback appears to have regressed from the previous year.
The offence has looked lost at times, and the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach is the head coach himself, so you do not have to look far to find who is responsible for working with that struggling unit. The defense, meanwhile, has looked awful at times, and it is hard to imagine that changes on the defensive side of the ball will not be coming.
Pierce is still young and gaining experience, and there is certainly potential for him to have a great career in BC. However, speculation surrounding poor communication and the handling of dysfunction within the organization is concerning. That can be a recipe for an underachieving team looking for change, particularly when you have an owner with high expectations who is trying to build something elite for the fans of British Columbia.
You begin to wonder if ownership is second guessing itself and whether organization changes could be coming to send a message to both the coaching staff and players that mediocrity will not be tolerated.
#3 Scott Milanovich – Hamilton Tiger-Cats
What one play in football can do to a city, an owner, an offence, a head coach and an entire Football league.
When Bo Levi Mitchell went down during Hamilton’s game against Winnipeg, you knew it would be tough for the Tiger-Cats to find success on offence, but this tough?
The problem with the situation is that everything with the Tiger-Cats appeared to be tied to one player to drive the entire offence and team, who also happens to be the driver for head coach Scott Milanovich.
History clearly indicates that Coach Milanovich’s personal success has been tied to great quarterbacks. In 2012, with Ricky Ray, together won the Grey Cup at home with a 9-9 record. In seven career seasons with two teams, Milanovich has missed the playoffs three times and has an overall record of 61-65 at the time of writing. Nothing too impressive.
You will find fans debating whether Milanovich is overrated, which may be a fair assessment. Perhaps a better analysis is that more should be expected from an experienced head coach when it comes to building a more well rounded team.
The offence is second last in points scored, and the defense statistically is not much better. It appears Hamilton may be close again to another dissapointing season, and caretaker Bob Young may have to clean house once again.
#4 VACANCY – Quebec CFL Expansion
We have the Quebec expansion team at #4 today in August, but it could soon become the #1 football job available.
How hot is this seat for the position to actually become available?
There are no guarantees when it comes to any of these projected hot seats, but this one is different. Quebec is getting a CFL expansion team. Period.
The CFL and prospective ownership group have kept the process very low-key and private, and we are not privy to all the details. However, there is one detail that matters most: Quebec City will be home to a new CFL franchise, and that means a 10th head-coaching position will become available.