12°c Partly cloudy
6°c Clear
Blue Bomber Report Record: 6–12–0
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Bombers announce Dickenson as special teams coordinator
Craig Dickenson, formerly Saskatchewan Roughriders special teams coordinator, will now fill that role with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. (MICHAEL BELL / POSTMEDIA NEWS ARCHIVES)
Related Items
It’s officially official: Craig Dickenson is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ new special-teams coordinator.
The Bombers made the announcement Friday, just one day after Dickenson resigned from the same job with the archrival Saskatchewan Roughriders citing an inability to make a full-time commitment in the offseason. Dickenson said he is building a house in Montana, where he lives in the off-season, and also teaches skiing and snowboarding at nearby Big Mountain Resort.
"I had a really good relationship in Saskatchewan, but without going into that too much it basically came down to a conflict of schedule in the off-season," said Dickenson in a telephone interview with the Free Press. "I had made some commitments that I intended to honour and the schedule changed where I was required to be back earlier than previously been discussed and it didn’t jive with the commitments I had already made.
"We talked, but there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room and I decided to stick to my guns with my commitments to my family and off-season activities. That’s how it shook down.
"Working at Big Mountain is very good me," Dickenson added. "It allows me to step out of my comfort zone and to be something different. I’m learning new skills in terms of teaching skiing and snowboarding and it just allows me to dive into a whole different world for a few months."
Dickenson said he will be busy chatting with Bomber head coach Tim Burke immediately and will crank up his commitment to his new gig here beginning in March.
"I am very excited to have Craig on board with us next season," said Burke in press release. "Craig is regarded as one of the best special teams coaches in this league and will play a vital role in our success in the coming years. He will provide great leadership and will be able to mentor our young special teams players, kickers and punters."
Dickenson has spent the last two years with the Rougriders, and prior to that spent 2010 as an assistant special teams coach with the Oakland Raiders. He has also worked for the Montreal Alouettes, the University of Montana, Utah State, the San Diego Chargers and Calgary Stampeders.
It was with the Stamps that Dickenson developed a relationship with Burke and Bomber defensive coordinator Casey Creehan.
"I really enjoy coaching with Tim Burke," said Dickenson. "I think he’s fantastic and has great leadership skills. I’m excited about the new stadium and like the fact that living in Winnipeg is similar to Montana in that you can ride your bike around, there’s lakes nearby and the fans there have great pride and ownership of their team. That made it an attractive job.
Dickenson’s coaching career began in 1995 at Montana, his alma mater, when the Grizzlies captured the NCAA Division 1-AA National Championship.
Twitter: @WFPEdTait
History
Updated on Friday, January 4, 2013 at 1:31 PM CST: updates with full writethru
More Bomber Report
- Back to Top
- Return to Bomber Report
Poll
Most Popular Bomber Report
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Bombers training camp opens June 2
- Man with no plan tries again
- CFL gains when draft picks go south
- Blue sign draft picks Fitzgerald, Pavlopoulos
- Bombers load camp roster with two DBs, LB, receiver
- Bombers handing off opening-day ball to fans
- Game ball to tour communities before grand opening of new Bomber stadium
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Bombers training camp opens June 2
- Bombers pick Fitzgerald, Pavlopoulos
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- Game ball to tour communities before grand opening of new Bomber stadium
- Blue sign draft picks Fitzgerald, Pavlopoulos
- Bombers load camp roster with two DBs, LB, receiver
- CFL gains when draft picks go south
- Bombers handing off opening-day ball to fans
- Bombers detail parking plan for new stadium
- Bomber boozers will change or they 'won't be here': GM Mack
- Hall turning heads at Bomber mini-camp
- Bombers are watching you
- CFL draft pick Mulumba would be proud to be a Bomber
- Bomber security to wave wands this season
- Bomber GM silent on Tebow's CFL prospects
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bombers boast record season-ticket sales
- Blue in the red: Bombers to report a loss of almost $800,000
- Bombers handing off opening-day ball to fans
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Game ball to tour communities before grand opening of new Bomber stadium
- CFL gains when draft picks go south
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Bombers detail parking plan for new stadium
- Bombers tackle parking issue
- Game ball to tour communities before grand opening of new Bomber stadium
- Blue in the red: Bombers to report a loss of almost $800,000
- Hall, Clement go to school
- Blue Bombers board of directors accepting nominations
- Bomber security to wave wands this season
- Bombers handing off opening-day ball to fans
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- If it was up to me, I would have kept Brink and Elliott
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.