WINNIPEG 鈥� Spending part of his childhood living in a bunkhouse without running water impacted Brian Dobie鈥檚 outlook on life.
The University of Manitoba football coach gained an understanding that everyone faces challenges, and people deserve a chance to reach their full potential.
Dobie has shown that to his players throughout his 29-year career as head coach of the Bisons, which is ending with the 71-year-old鈥檚 retirement after this season.
鈥淓veryone knows he鈥檚 a good guy and that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 such a good coach,鈥� fifth-year linebacker Nick Thomas said.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 that he had all these crazy schemes or anything. The person that he is and the relationships that he鈥檚 built is why he鈥檚 such a good coach.鈥�
Dobie鈥檚 seventh-ranked squad has qualified for the U Sports playoffs. The Bisons (7-1) topped the Canada West conference and host the fourth-place University of Regina Rams (3-5) in one of Saturday鈥檚 two conference semifinal games.
It鈥檚 a step toward what his players hope will be a storybook ending for their coach 鈥� capturing the Vanier Cup national title for the second time in Dobie鈥檚 career.
鈥淲hen he told us in his speech (at training camp) that he was retiring, it kind of lit a fire under all of our butts,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚t would be so awesome (to win).
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 playing for him. We鈥檝e got a purpose bigger than ourselves, bigger than personal accolades at this point. I feel like that鈥檚 going to drive us in the playoffs.鈥�
Dobie, known for his gift of the gab, shared part of his life story at that team meeting which ran 90 minutes.
He was born in Ottawa and adopted at birth. He and an adopted sister didn鈥檛 have much stability, partly because their father struggled living with polio.
His parents separated for a while, and his mother moved them back to her home province of Manitoba. They lived in small towns, including one winter in a bunkhouse on a farm when Dobie was in Grade 2. His mom hauled water from the main house and their small space was heated with a wood stove.
鈥淲e had nothing,鈥� Dobie said. 鈥淲e were (in) literal poverty. That went on for a few years.
鈥淚t made me angry that my mom had to go through that. It never left me. She always wanted for us to be and have better than that. My mom was an incredible motivator.鈥�
They settled in Winnipeg when Dobie was in Grade 9 and he was able to play sports and make longtime friends.
He became a U of M receiver, then head coach at Churchill High School for 21 years, making this season his 50th at the helm of a football team.
His third time applying for the Bisons鈥� head-coaching job was successful in 1996. His teams made it to the Vanier Cup twice, losing to the Saint Mary鈥檚 Huskies in 2001 but beating the Huskies in 2007.
Sixty-four of his Bisons have been drafted in the CFL, while three (Israel Idonije, David Onyemata and Geoff Gray) signed in the NFL. Idonije played 11 seasons and went to the Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears in 2007. Onyemata is with the Atlanta Falcons and was the first Bison drafted in the NFL (New Orleans, 2016).
鈥淓verybody refers to Israel Idonije and David Onyemata as our greatest successes, and I get that,鈥� Dobie said. 鈥淲hat those two accomplished is incredible, so they are great examples.
鈥淏ut no more than that guy and that guy who are out there being great fathers and doing a great job at their jobs and coaching their little kids鈥� soccer teams and being great partners to their wife or their girlfriend or whomever.
鈥淎ll those relationships, they all count. They all mean a lot to me. What we鈥檙e doing here not just counts, it matters. It affects people鈥檚 lives, it changes people鈥檚 lives.鈥�
Thomas, drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year (60th overall), is grateful Dobie gave him a chance.
He and his sister lived in about 10 foster homes in B.C. He switched to football from rugby in Grade 12 and was recruited by the Bisons after sending Dobie tape from his Langley club team.
Thomas redshirted his first year in 2017 and struggled with schoolwork. He considered quitting, but Dobie gave him encouragement and resources.
鈥淗e鈥檚 almost like a father figure in my life, something constant. He鈥檚 always there,鈥� said the 26-year-old, who鈥檚 graduating with a major in psychology.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very relatable. His perseverance and overcoming adversities, he鈥檚 very good for advice 鈥� personal and life advice as well.鈥�
Dobie also broke down some gender barriers.
Defensive back Reina Iizuka was the first female U Sports football player when she was on Manitoba鈥檚 roster from 2018-20, but she never dressed in a regular-season game.
Current Bisons kicker Maya Turner became the first to play and score in a regular-season U Sports football game in September 2023.
鈥淚t helps knowing that (Dobie) believes in me,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 communicated that to me since the beginning.鈥�
Dobie is fourth in combined regular-season and playoff wins among active U Sports football coaches with 128. University of British Columbia鈥檚 Blake Nill is third (177), Western鈥檚 Greg Marshall second (210) and Laval鈥檚 Glen Constantin sits first with 217.
Nill was head coach of Saint Mary鈥檚 when it downed Dobie鈥檚 squad in the 2001 Vanier Cup. He moved to the University of Calgary in 2005 and is currently in his 10th season guiding the third-place Thunderbirds (5-3) in his 27th overall season.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a tremendously caring individual, always thinking of the other person,鈥� Nill said of Dobie in a phone call.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a different college scene without coach Dobie. He鈥檚 quietly for almost three decades gone about his profession. The University of Manitoba and the whole nation is better for him. Certainly the game of football is.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
