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After nearly three decades of calling the plays from the sidelines, Brian Dobie is preparing to hang up his whistle.
Dobie announced to his football team on the weekend that the 2024 season will be his final quarter as head coach of the Manitoba Bisons football team, according to a press release from the University of Manitoba.
This season will mark Dobie’s 29th year as Head Coach, capping off a remarkable 50-year coaching career that began with a 21-year tenure at Churchill High School.
“This was my dream job, a position that I’d wanted my whole adult and professional life,” Dobie shared. “The Bison Football program has become our family, a family that my wife and I have embraced, loved and cherished, and a home where our daughter grew up.”
Dobie’s retirement will mark the end of an era for Bisons football, where he has not only been the winningest coach in the program's history but also a beloved figure within the University of Manitoba community. His impact over the years extends far beyond wins and losses; it is rooted in the relationships he has built with countless players.
“My greatest joy over the past 50 years has been working alongside the thousands of players that I had the absolute honour to share this wonderful lifelong experience with,” Dobie says. “How fortunate I’ve been to go to work every day surrounded by a hundred young student-athletes who are motivated, driven, and enthusiastic as they pursue their academic and athletic goals.”
Gene Muller, Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Manitoba, paid tribute to Dobie’s legacy, describing him as “the heartbeat of Bison Football for decades,” in the school's press release.
“His energy and infectious enthusiasm have inspired our student-athletes, staff, and the University of Manitoba community. His unwavering love for the program and genuine care for 'his guys' have left an indelible mark on the Bison football program. We are deeply grateful for his dedication and leadership over the years."
As Dobie prepares for his final season, he says he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Jackie, whom he credits as being “the person who has always been there through the tough times and the best times. She has been the anchor for our family, and we are both so looking forward to sharing our next adventures.”
Dobie’s accomplishments include five Canada West Coach of the Year awards and the U SPORTS Coach of the Year award in 2001. He was inducted into the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2015 for his contributions to Churchill High School football. Throughout his tenure, Dobie has coached 63 student-athletes who were drafted by CFL teams and two by NFL teams.
The 2024 U Sports football regular season is set to conclude on Saturday, October 26. Meanwhile, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management will begin the formal search for Dobie’s successor in September, aiming to have a new head coach in place by December.