Photo courtesy of AllSportMedia.ca

The BC Conference champs are on the search for a brand-new head coach after Dexter Janke stepped down.

Janke is heading to Toronto after taking the head coaching job for the York University Lions.  He becomes their 12th head coach in school history and actually has a tie to the school after his younger brother attended and played ball from 2015-2019.

What a terrific, but short career in the CJFL for Janke.  Following his final CFL season in 2019 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he was named the Westshore Rebels secondary coach and special teams coordinator for the 2020 campaign, which was eventually cancelled due to the pandemic.  

In 2021 he took on a larger role with the coaching staff adding defensive coordinator to his responsibilities.  Heading into the 2022 season he was named the assistant head coach and almost immediately following that season, was named the head coach and assistant general manager while continuing to fulfill the position of defensive and special teams coordinator.

Looking at the numbers, in his first season in 2021, the Rebels had a 1-7 record; they then went 7-3 in 2022, before the franchise’s first perfect 10-0 season this past year, culminating in a BC Conference Cullen Cup title and the right to host the Canadian Bowl.  He was also named both the Gordon Currie CJFL Coach of the Year and the BCFC Coach of the Year in 2023. 

His dedication and commitment to the Rebels was a major attraction for York University and as the Rebels say on their Facebook page, “A great football coach and even better person who has had a tremendous impact on our program and community.  Dexter will always be a part of the Rebel family and we wish him great success in his new role as head coach at York.”

Thank you, Dexter, for your passion and dedication in developing players in the CJFL!