B.C. Lions' general manager Wally Buono speaks to reporters during a news conference in the team's locker room in Surrey, B.C., on January 24, 2013. Buono is back on the sidelines for the B.C. Lions in 2016.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
The B.C. Lions are hoping that Wally Buono is the right man to fix their recent fortunes on Saturday in their home opener against the Calgary Stampeders.
The CFL regular season opener is a classic scenario of the legendary teacher hoping not to get schooled by former student Dave Dickenson – Calgary's head coach – in a matchup of Canadian Football Hall of Fame members.
Buono makes his return to the Lions sideline and will set a league record when he starts his 23rd Canadian Football League season in charge. He's also looking to extend his CFL standard of 254 coaching victories.
Dickenson, some 396 regular season games behind Buono in league coaching appearances, makes his Stampeders debut, taking over from John Hufnagel following seven seasons as the team's offensive coordinator.
Dickenson said Hufnagel has been supportive but has mostly stayed in the background as the Stamps' general manager.
"I had to do a few things differently but it wasn't to put my stamp on it. It was just to be me," Dickenson said. "You don't want to change for the sake of change."
The biggest coaching trait Dickenson said he learned from Buono was being able to cut a veteran player.
"He was loyal but he knew when it was time for a player to go," said Dickenson, who was released in 2007 by the Lions.
Dickenson was the face of the B.C. franchise for five seasons, signing in Calgary in 2008 after a concussion thinking he could still play. He was seen as the ideal heir apparent to Buono but never spoke much about his desire to coach during his time in B.C.
"I always looked at [Dickenson] and [Lions defensive coordinator] Mark Washington the same way. Dave had the capability, the want-to is something different," said Lions defensive back Ryan Phillips, the lone remaining Lions teammate of Dickenson.
"There's so many things that go into it. Is the wife able to deal with that type of lifestyle? I never knew he wanted to [coach], but I'm not surprised by it now. The work he's done in Calgary setting milestones, they've been the most dominant team the last four years."
The contrast between the two coaches is stark despite their parallel career paths with the Stamps and Lions. Buono, 66, said he has mellowed since exiting coaching ranks after the 2011 Grey Cup. He'll be the only head coach not wearing a headset Saturday, though. In the Lions' last preseason meeting, he handed the coach's challenge flag to Washington.
Buono was joking when asked about the coaching matchup Friday.
"It's the Lions against the Stampeders. If I was going against Dave I think I'd win," said Buono, who twice offered Dickenson a Lions coaching position. "[Dickenson] doesn't have any wins, I have 1,000."
One aspect about his first regular season game as head coach playing at BC Place Stadium should be familiar to Dickenson.
When he signed prior to the 2003 season and revive a sagging franchise, the team drew just 20,191 fans in Dickenson's first game. A crowd of similar size is expected Saturday by the Lions, who are working to regain the trust of a fan base soured by a 7-11 season under departed coach Jeff Tedford last year.
B.C. opens the season with 25 new faces in camp, including all rosters, hoping sophomore quarterback Jon Jennings can justify his off-season contract extension in only his seventh career regular season start.
Calgary has several injury concerns on both sides of the ball. Safety Josh Bell (ankle) was injured in the preseason meeting of the teams last week and is one of three presumptive starters who will start the regular schedule on the Stamps' injured list.