GUELPH — With a coaching resume that dates back to 1997, Mike Miller is very familiar with football training camps. But he’ll experience a first Sunday.
That’s when all nine CFL teams open training camp, which will be Miller’s first as a head coach some five months after being promoted by the Toronto Argonauts. The four previous seasons, Miller served as the club’s quarterback coach, working with head coach and offensive co-ordinator Ryan Dinwiddie.
The partnership was successful as Toronto won two Grey Cup titles (2022, ’24). When Dinwiddie left to become the Ottawa Redblacks head coach and general manager, the Argos promoted Miller, who’ll also handle offensive co-ordinator duties.
Many players have nerves and angst leading up to camp, but Miller said so do coaches.
“I’ve always felt this way and I think it’s a sickness among coaches,” Miller said. “All we worry about are the things that can go wrong.
“Are we hitting the right topics? Are we making sure we’ve covered the details? We’re putting these players into positions to show what they can do and are we taking advantage of their talents? Then there’s practice management. All of those organizational things, that’s what you’re worried about, that we don’t do our due diligence in that way.”
Instead of focusing solely on Toronto’s quarterbacks, Miller must now expand his focus to also include the Argos’ defence and special teams. But over a well-travelled coaching career that’s included stops in the CFL, NCAA, NFL and NFL Europe, Miller has also been a defensive positional coach and defensive co-ordinator.
“It’s just making sure I’m communicating with Greg (defence co-ordinator Greg Quick) and the defensive coaches as well as Mickey (special-teams co-ordinator Mickey Donovan),” Miller said. “To a degree, some of these guys are new to Canada so I’m coaching the coaches as well that this is how we want to do this.”
Miller, a 56-year-old Pittsburgh native, takes over a Toronto team that posted a 5-13 record last year and failed to qualify for the CFL playoffs.
Miller said starter Chad Kelly, who missed all of 2025 after suffering a leg injury in the ’24 East final, will be among the veterans reporting Sunday. Miller added Kelly will be a complete participant.
“We’ve not had one indication from any one of our trainers, doctors or him that there’s been any hiccup,” Miller said. “When Chad gets here and we’re ready go to (with) vet camp, Chad will be our starting quarterback.”
Miller has the same expectation in camp of Kelly that he has for every player.
“Bring your best, bring that passion, prepare with detail so we can execute with urgency and do it with great physicality,” Miller said. “Now, I don’t expect our quarterback to be physical but I always say each guy can play their position with that level of passion.
“Chad’s a great communicator, he has great eyes for what he does and he’s a great teammate … he’s all about winning a championship and about team.”
Toronto made notable additions to a defence that struggled last season. The Argos were last in offensive points allowed (28.8 per game), offensive TDs surrendered (54), TD passes allowed (35), 30-plus yard completions (39) and average yards per play (7.07).
Former Argonauts who played elsewhere have returned to Toronto.
Defensive tackle Ralph Holley (Cleveland NFL), linebacker Adarius Pickett (Ottawa Redblacks) and defensive backs DaShaun Amos (Hamilton last year) and Robert Priester (Ottawa) all re-signed this off-season. But the Argos lost veteran middle linebacker Wynton McManis to Hamilton.
Americans Isaac Darkangelo (third season with Toronto) and Aaron Casey (second year with Argos) are expected to top the depth chart in camp to replace McManis.
“Mike linebacker is one of the big question marks,” Quick said. “That has to be a dominant position in this league.
“Historically for myself, we don’t want an average player and we don’t want to have to compensate for our Mike linebacker. I think we’ve got a couple in house, we’ve got a couple (via rookie camp), it’s going to be very, very competitive.”
Quick said training camp isn’t only about evaluating talent. It’s also understanding where the defence’s strengths — and weaknesses — lie.
“It’s important for us to maximize the capabilities of the young men we have,” he said. “That’s really why Mike hired me.
“If I had a strength that I’d attest to, it’s that ability to identify strengths, weaknesses and then maximize their capabilities within our system. Training camp is just so important and imperative to that process.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2026.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
