Rick Campbell out as Redblacks head coach after 3-15 season

Head coach Rick Campbell has parted ways with the Ottawa Redblacks amid the fallout of a dismal season, and what appears to be a deteriorating relationship with general manager Marcel Desjardins.

The Redblacks announced Monday morning that Campbell had decided to leave with CFL club with one year remaining on his contract.

Ottawa finished last in the CFL standings this season with an overall 3-15 record after losing numerous players to free agency. The team also dealt with a number of injuries, while other players didn’t live up to the potential expected from management.

“My best way to phrase it is I didn’t think the status quo was best for the Redblacks going forward, and decisions were made from there,” Campbell said of his departure.

“I really didn’t like it when people left here with a bad taste in their mouth,” he added. “The list was getting a little long and … I’ll leave it at that.”

‘Magic moments’

Desjardins said he was caught off guard by Campbell’s decision.

“[Campbell] did not think that our relationship was good enough for him to want to continue in this arrangement,” Desjardins said Monday. “That’s his opinion. The relationship has been the same since day one, but obviously the stress of this season must have played a factor in that.

“At the end of the day I take complete responsibility for everything, but I also know that all of the success we’ve had in the past is a group effort so as much as I am the person to answer for this at the end of the day, there are a lot of things that happened.”

Campbell denied that a personality conflict with Desjardins factored into his decision.

“I do not dislike Marcel,” Campbell said. “It’s not about that. Sometimes relationships have to jive and to be able to communicate well and sometimes when you don’t have that, it makes things tougher. I have to put it on me too because I have to be a better communicator.”

Desjardins said the priority is to hire a new head coach before Christmas. He said he will be looking for someone with CFL experience, but not necessarily head coaching experience.