Mike Miller steps in as Toronto Argonauts head coach after Dinwiddie’s exit

TORONTO — Mike Miller’s coaching career of nearly 30 years has taken him from small-town Pennsylvania to Berlin. He has been behind the sidelines with NCAA Division II schools and NFL teams.

He hadn’t, however, been a head coach at any of the stops on his long journey. That changed Tuesday, when he was named the 46th head coach of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

Miller was promoted to the role after serving as the Argonauts’ quarterbacks coach since 2022. He said getting the keys to the team isn’t going to change how he approaches his job.

“I just try to always be myself,” Miller said at a press conference at BMO Field. “Always try to be honest with the players, and I’m a guy who’s always said that I feel like we have a good starting point, but I encourage input.”

Miller, who will also serve as the team’s offensive co-ordinator and play-caller in 2026, replaces his old boss Ryan Dinwiddie in the role. Dinwiddie, who coached the Argos to two Grey Cups alongside Miller over the past four seasons, made a surprising move to Ottawa last month to become the Redblacks’ head coach and general manager.

Miller had previously served as an offensive co-ordinator with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes.

Argonauts GM Michael (Pinball) Clemons cited Miller’s success working with the team’s quarterbacks since he joined the organization as a major factor in the decision to hire the first-time head coach.

“When you look at his record as it goes down …” said Clemons, “all of his quarterbacks had their best seasons, their best years, under his supervision, and so that played a major role in the thought process.”

Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2023 while working with Miller, while quarterback Nick Arbuckle was named 2024 Grey Cup MOP and also threw for career-high numbers in passing yards and touchdowns in 2025.

Kelly attended the press conference, watching from the back of the room.

The Argonauts finished the 2025 season with a 5-13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Dinwiddie’s departure came shortly after on Nov. 5.

Both Miller and Clemons took the time to thank Dinwiddie for his contributions and speak to their time working together.

“RD (Dinwiddie) and I worked together in Montreal,” said Miller, “and when I left there, he said ‘if I ever get a chance, I’m going to hire you,’ and a lot of guys had said that over the years, and he kept his word and gave me an opportunity to come here and be a part of everything that we’ve achieved, so a lot of respect for him and a big thank you.”

Miller began his journey as a running backs coach at Robert Morris University in his hometown of Pittsburgh in 1997. From there, the 55-year-old has had experience at the NCAA, NFL, XFL, and CFL levels before finally earning a head coaching opportunity with the Argonauts.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to go through this process,” said Miller when asked about the idea of becoming a head coach. “I’ve just always been a person that, once that goal is reached, it’s a moment of celebration, but I quickly shift my vision forward.”

Miller also took the opportunity to thank several people who had helped him along his journey, including Toronto health care workers at Princess Margaret, Toronto Western, and Toronto General hospitals, where he received treatment for his 2023 cancer diagnosis, and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher, who he worked with from 1999-2003 during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Gave me my first opportunity in professional football, has continued to be a great mentor to me,” said Miller of the legendary Steelers head coach. “A big thank you to Bill Cowher.”

Miller also has experience as a receivers coach, having filled that role with the Cardinals, and worked in NFL Europe as a quarterbacks and wide receivers coach for the Berlin Thunder in 2006.

Miller reached the Super Bowl with the Cardinals while serving as their passing game co-ordinator in 2009.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2025.