Riders Head Coach Craig Dickenson has been away from practice this week as recovers from a bout with COVID. In his absence, Offensive Coordinator Jason Maas, Defensive Coordinator Jason Shivers, and Special Teams Coordinator Kent Maugeri replaced Dickenson as the authorative figures at practice.

All three assistants were confident that Dickenson would be back on the sidelines as the Roughriders battle the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic when each took their turn speaking in front of the media.

Defensive Coordinator Jason Shivers felt it was a little bit odd, not having the Riders Head Coach around over the last few days.

” We’ve picked up there pieces, but it’s definetley weird not having Coach Dickey here, we walk by his office everyone got a little habit of looking in there and saying hey Coach Dickey, but even though he’s not there.”

Shivers noted on Friday the coordinators were worried about their jobs and not the Head Coach’s.

“I think everybody is focused on the task at hand which is Winnipeg and our respective core units and just to make sure that we have our team prepared.”

Offensive Coordinator Jason Maas thought Dickenson’s abscence has been felt.

“You can hear his message in our meetings, (Kent) Magueri has been doing a good job of relaying his message to us , his message is being heard, but yeah, it’s different.”

The Riders special teams coordinator, Magueri joked earlier in the week about deciding between the three coordinators on the third down decisions.

“I guess we paper, rock, scisscors, to decide if we go for it on third down.”

Despite being originally scheduled to return to team facilties on Saturday, the return of the Riders head coach has been delayed until tomorrow, in time for the Labour Day Classic.

Sunday’s game can be heard on 620 CKRM, with an opening kickoff at 4:00.