Brian Dobie

Last updated

Brian Dobie
Born: (1953-02-16) February 16, 1953 (age 71)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [1]
Career information
CFL status National
Position(s) Head coach
University Manitoba
Career history
As coach
1996–2024 Manitoba Bisons (HC)
Career highlights and awards
Awards Coach of the Year (2001)
5x Canada West Coach of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
Honours Vanier Cup champion – (2007)

Brian Dobie (born February 16, 1953) is a Canadian former football coach who was the head coach for the University of Manitoba's football team, the Manitoba Bisons for 29 years. He led the Bisons to two Vanier Cup appearances including a championship victory in 2007. He has won five Canada West Coach of the Year awards and was also named CIAU Coach of the Year in 2001. He is a former Canadian football wide receiver where he played for the Bisons.

Contents

Early life

Dobie was born in Ottawa, Ontario and was adopted shortly after. [1] After his parents separated, he moved with his mother to her home province of Manitoba where they lived in several small towns. [1] They then moved to Winnipeg when Dobie was in grade 9 where they eventually settled and he attended high school. [1]

Coaching career

Dobie became head coach for the Manitoba Bisons football team in 1996 after serving as head coach for Churchill High School in Winnipeg for 21 years. [2] [3] After taking over a team that had finished 0–8 in 1995, Dobie led the Bisons to a first place finish and Hardy Cup appearance in 2000. [4] [5] In 2001, the Bisons again finished in first place in Canada West, but won the Hardy Cup for the first time since 1973. [6] The team also appeared in the Vanier Cup game for the first time since 1970, but lost the 37th Vanier Cup to the Saint Mary's Huskies. [6]

In 2007, Dobie led the Bisons to an undefeated regular season and another first place finish. [7] He won his second Hardy Cup after defeating the Regina Rams and after a Mitchell Bowl victory over the Western Mustangs, the Bisons appeared in the 43rd Vanier Cup. [6] In a rematch with the Saint Mary's Huskies, Dobie led the Bisons to a 28–14 victory and he won his first national championship. [6] [8]

After missing the playoffs in the four seasons following their championship win, the Bisons returned to the playoffs in 2013 and lost the Hardy Cup game in 2014. [9] With a 4–4 record in 2015, Dobie and the Bisons upset the Calgary Dinos 27–15 in the Hardy Cup game and he won his third conference championship. [10]

The Bisons qualified for he Hardy Cup game in 2021, but the team lost to the Saskatchewan Huskies. [11]

On August 12, 2024, Dobie announced that the 2024 season would be his last as head coach of the Bisons. [3] He led the Bisons to a first place finish in the regular season with a 7–1 record, but the team was upset in the Hardy Cup game by the Regina Rams. [1]

Legacy

Dobie has the most wins in Bisons football history with a record of 115–105–1 as of 2024. [1] [2] Including a post-season record of 14–16, his 128 wins are the 12th-most wins in U Sports history and the fourth most in Canada West. [1] [2] He coached Israel Idonije and David Onyemata, who both played in the National Football League, and has coached 64 student-athletes who were drafted by Canadian Football League teams. [2] Under Dobie, Reina Ilzuka became the first female player in Bisons history and Maya Turner became the first female player to score points in a regular season game in U Sports football history. [12] [13]

Dobie has also been a part-time commentator for U Sports and CFL football coverage on TSN.

Personal life

Dobie resides in Winnipeg with his wife, Jackie, and they have a daughter, Caleigh. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regina Rams</span> Gridiron football team of the University of Regina

The Regina Rams represent the University of Regina, located in Regina, Saskatchewan, in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The Rams joined U Sports in 1999 and have competed in the Canada West Conference since then. The program has won two U Sports football conference championships, in 2000 and 2024, and the team has made one appearance in the Vanier Cup championship game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manitoba Bisons</span> Athletic teams that represent the University of Manitoba

The Manitoba Bisons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The football team plays their games at Princess Auto Stadium. The soccer team play their home games at the University of Manitoba Soccer Fields while the track and field teams use the University Stadium as their home track. The University has 18 different teams in 10 sports: basketball, curling, cross country running, Canadian football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, track & field, and volleyball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Boreham</span> Canadian football player

Jamie Boreham is a former professional Canadian football punter and placekicker and is the head coach of the Prince George Kodiaks of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). He played for eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and was a member of the 95th Grey Cup championship team with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U Sports football</span> University competition in Canadian football

U Sports football is the highest level of amateur play of Canadian football and operates under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. Twenty-seven teams from Canadian universities are divided into four athletic conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of U Sports: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, and Atlantic University Sport. At the end of every season, the champions of each conference advance to semifinal bowl games; the winners of these meet in the Vanier Cup national championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">43rd Vanier Cup</span>

The 43rd Vanier Cup was played on November 23, 2007, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and decided the CIS Football champion for the 2007 season. The Manitoba Bisons completed a perfect season by defeating the Saint Mary's Huskies by a score of 28-14, finishing with a 12-0 record. The Huskies were without Hec Crighton Trophy winner Erik Glavic, who injured his knee a week earlier in the Uteck Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatchewan Huskies football</span> Canadian university gridiron football team

The Saskatchewan Huskies football team represents the University of Saskatchewan in U Sports football that competes in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association conference of U Sports. The program has won the Vanier Cup national championship three times, in 1990, 1996 and 1998. The Huskies became only the second U Sports team to advance to three consecutive Vanier Cup games, after the Saint Mary's Huskies, but lost all three games from 2004-2006. The team has won the most Hardy Trophy titles in Canada West, having won a total of 21 times.

Blake Nill is a former Canadian football defensive lineman and the current head coach for the University of British Columbia's football team, the UBC Thunderbirds. He is a three-time Vanier Cup champion as a head coach and was awarded the Frank Tindall Trophy in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Janzen</span> Canadian football player (1940–2022)

Henry F. Janzen was a Canadian professional football defensive back and kick returner who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1959 to 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manitoba Bisons football</span> Canadian college football team

The Manitoba Bisons football team represents the University of Manitoba in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The program was the first of four U Sports football teams to have won back-to-back Vanier Cup championships, having won in 1969 and 1970. In total, the Bisons have won three Vanier Cup national championships and 11 Hardy Trophy conference championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laval Rouge et Or football</span> Canadian university football team

The Laval Rouge et Or football team represents Laval University in Quebec City in the sport of Canadian football in U Sports. The program began its first regular season in 1996 and has quickly become one of the most successful programs in Canadian university football history. The Rouge et Or have won a record 12 Vanier Cup championships and their most recent victory occurred at the 59th Vanier Cup in 2024. They are also the only program to have played in four straight Vanier Cups and have a record of 12–2 in Vanier Cup games. The Rouge et Or have also won the Dunsmore Cup 17 times since 1999, demonstrating their historical dominance in their conference.

The 1999 CIAU football season began on September 10, 1999, and concluded with the 35th Vanier Cup national championship on November 27, 1999, at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, with the Laval Rouge et Or winning the first Vanier Cup in program history. Twenty-four universities across Canada competed in CIAU football this season, the highest level of amateur play in Canadian football, under the auspices of the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU). The Regina Rams began their first season of play in the CIAU after previously playing in the Canadian Junior Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shai Ross</span> Canadian football wide receiver

Shai Ross is a Canadian former professional football wide receiver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Liegghio</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1997)

Marc Liegghio is a Canadian professional football placekicker and punter for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan Giffen</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1997)

Dylan Giffen is a Canadian professional football offensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a two-time Grey Cup champion after winning with Argonauts in 2022 and 2024.

Grant McDonald is a Canadian former professional football linebacker who played for the Edmonton Elks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Elks with the 14th overall selection in the 2021 CFL Draft. From 2018 to 2019, he played U Sports football for the University of Calgary Dinos, where he was a Vanier Cup champion in 2019. Prior to transferring to Calgary in 2018, he attended and played one season for the University of Maine Black Bears of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2017.

The 2023 U Sports football season began on August 25, 2023, with the defending champion Laval Rouge et Or visiting the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. On the following day, ten Ontario University Athletics teams, four Atlantic University Sport teams, and two RSEQ opened their schedules on August 26, 2023. On the following weekend, the six Canada West teams opened their seasons on September 1, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Mital</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1999)

Kevin Mital is a Canadian professional football wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with Argonauts in 2024. He played U Sports football for the Laval Rouge et Or of the RSEQ conference. He is a Vanier Cup champion after winning with the Rouge et Or in 2022 and was named the game's MVP. He also won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2022 as U Sports football's most outstanding player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deionte Knight</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1999)

Deionte Knight is a Canadian professional football defensive lineman for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

The 2024 U Sports football season began on August 23, 2024, with the defending champion Montreal Carabins hosting the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. On the following day, four Atlantic University Sport teams and six Ontario University Athletics teams opened their schedules on August 24, 2024. The Canada West conference began their season one week later on August 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Farthing</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1969)

Dan Farthing is a Canadian former professional football wide receiver and is the current head strength and conditioning coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a player, he played in 11 seasons, all with the Roughriders, and has the fourth-most receptions in franchise history.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "UManitoba Bisons football team aims to give coach Brian Dobie's career a storybook ending". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 1, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brian Dobie". Manitoba Bisons . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Brian Dobie to retire after leading Bison football program for 29 years". Winnipeg Sun. August 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ "1996 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ "2000 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "2001 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  7. ↑ "2007 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Legacy: The Brian Dobie story". Manitoba Bisons . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  9. ↑ "2014 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  10. ↑ "2015 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ "2015 Canada West Football" (PDF). Canada West . Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Manitoba Bisons' kicker Maya Turner becomes first female player to score points in U Sports history". 3DownNation. August 26, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Maya Turner: A trailblazer in U Sports football". 3DownNation. June 18, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.