[6] The team led the CFL in 18 of 25 defensive categories that year and finished with a non-losing record for the first time since 1983.
[6][15] The Lions immediately improved and finished with a 10–8 record that year, losing the West Semi-Final to the Calgary Stampeders.
[15] The Lions defeated the Edmonton Eskimos[16] and then the Calgary Stampeders in the playoffs[17] to qualify for the 82nd Grey Cup against the Baltimore Football Club.
[22] He was promoted to head coach in 1997[23] and led the team to a 13–5 record,[24] but lost the East Final to the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts.
[22] However, the heavily favoured Blue Bombers were upset by the 8–10 Calgary Stampeders in the 89th Grey Cup game by a score of 27–19.
[32][33] On August 8, 2004, with the Blue Bombers losing three in a row with a 2–5 record to begin their season, Ritchie was relieved of head coaching duties.
[12] Ritchie was hired by longtime associate, Wally Buono, on February 25, 2005, to become the defensive coordinator on the BC Lions in 2005.
[35] Ritchie returned to the field in 2011 as head coach of the Zurich Renegades[36] in the top level league in Switzerland, helping the team reach the semi-finals in 2012.
[37] Ritchie was named to the Fairmont State Hall of Fame in 2010, following five years as a head coach there with two conference titles and one Coal Bowl victory in 1979.
[12] On June 21, 2022, it was announced that Ritchie would be enshrined in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2022 as a builder.