From teammates to opposing coaches: Dickenson, Pierce to clash in CFL playoffs

B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke (12) gets away from Calgary Stampeders' Jaydon Grant (25), as he loses his helmet, during the second half of a CFL football game, in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER — It’s been nearly two decades since Dave Dickenson and Buck Pierce won a Grey Cup together with the B.C. Lions.

Now the pair are set to go up against one another with a trip to the CFL’s West Division final on the line.

“I like to compete against people I respect and he’s certainly one of those top guys,” Dickenson, head coach of the Calgary Stampeders, said of his former teammate Friday.

Dickenson’s Stamps (11-7) are in Vancouver where they’ll face rookie head coach Pierce and the B.C. Lions (11-7) in the West Division semifinal on Saturday.

Back in 2006, the pair were both quarterbacks for the Lions team that beat the Montreal Alouettes 25-14 in the CFL’s championship game.

It’s an experience Dickenson and Pierce reflected on as they prepare to begin this year’s playoff campaign against one another.

“It was a very special time,” Pierce said.

“Winning is hard, and when you win a championship, those bonds run deep. The way I look at it, it was a collective group of guys. Obviously we all followed Dave’s lead and all wanted to be part of the success. And I think we were allowed to do that.”

Different stages

Back in 2006, Dickenson was a veteran and the Lions’ starter, while Pierce was in the second season in the league.

“We were at different stages of our careers,” Dickenson said. “I knew I was pretty close to being towards the tail end. I was like, ‘Man, I want one of these bad as a starter.’ I just almost took a big breath. It was one of those moments where you go ‘Phew. Got it.’ And Buck was probably like ‘Oh, that wasn’t so hard. We can get lots of these.’”

Getting a Grey Cup this year will require one former teammate to beat the other.

The two sides both come in with identical records, but the Lions hold home-field advantage after downing the Stamps twice in regular-season play.

Both teams are riding win streaks, too, with B.C. undefeated in its last six games and Calgary on a three-game run.

The Lions struggled earlier in the season, going 3-5 to start the campaign. It was a stretch that showed Pierce’s strength as a coach, Dickenson said.

“You get in ruts. Sometimes you might, as a young coach, you’ve got to realize it’s a long season. He’s got his guys playing their best football when it matters most,” he said.

“I knew Buck was going to be a good coach, but I give him credit here, I think he’s done an outstanding job. I think he’s done as well as anybody in the CFL this year.”

First-time head coach

Part of the way Pierce coaches may be credited to Dickenson.

Not only were the duo teammates in B.C. back in the early 2000s, Pierce said he’s long watched Dickenson’s coaching career.

“Over the years, I’ve probably stolen quite a bit,” he admitted. ”I’ve always tried to take things from everywhere I’ve been, especially experiences and learn as you go. I think that’s one of the great things about our profession.

“And me as a first-time head coach, you go through a lot of things you might not expect. So I draw on those lessons that I’ve learned. And I’ve drawn a lot of lessons from (Dickenson.)”

Dickenson and Pierce aren’t the only former teammates going up against one another on Saturday.

Calgary’s offence runs through quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who played the last two seasons for B.C., and was the team’s starter for much of that period.

Asked whether he’s talked to Adams about going up against his former team, Dickenson was frank.

“No, because it needs to be about playing winning football. It really can’t be about more than that,” the coach said. ”The one thing you’ve got to realize is that you’re one cog in the wheel. You’re an important cog, but you’re a cog in the wheel.”

Adams finished the regular season with 4,247 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and said he’s grateful and blessed to be playing against his former team.

“It’s going to be an awesome environment. It’s going to be loud. I know I’ve played a couple of playoff games here, too, and the crowd’s going to be crazy,” he said. “This is what we want. We want to come into a hostile environment and lean on each other.”

Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke reclaimed the starting role in B.C. full time this season and put up career highs in both passing yards (5,290) and touchdowns (31).

A nominee for both the CFL’s most outstanding player and most outstanding Canadian this year, Rourke said he isn’t focusing on his former teammate heading into Saturday’s matchup.

“At the end of the day, I’m not playing against (Adams). That’s the way I look at it,” he said. ”I’m playing against the Calgary defence. They’re a very good defence. They’re very well coached, they fly around, they have a lot of good players. That’s what I’m thinking about.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2025.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press