The Ottawa Redblacks need a new head coach after Bob Dyce was fired after just over three years at the helm.
Patience is running thin in the nation's capital as the team has made the playoffs just once in the last six seasons, so it's a decision by general manager Sean Burke. which will reportedly return in 2026I can't afford to make a mistake.
Below are 12 candidates for the Ottawa Redblacks head coaching position. They are listed alphabetically by last name.
Byron Archambault
The 35-year-old has an impressive resume for a coach his age, having spent three seasons as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at his alma mater, the University of Montreal, and five seasons in essentially the same positions with the Alouettes. Archambault also has personnel experience, having served as Montreal's director of player personnel since 2021. If the Redblacks want someone young, versatile and bilingual as their next head coach, Archambault may be the best candidate.
Josh Bell
The Los Angeles, California native is in his eighth year as an assistant in the CFL and is currently the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Corey Mays has had great success early in his CFL coaching career, and Bell is one of his right-hand men, working alongside him on the Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts and Raiders. The 40-year-old also played six seasons as a CFL defenseman before being promoted to the Western Division in 2015.
Henry Burris
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback is an Ottawa legend as he led the Redblacks to the Gray Cup in 2016, the city's first in 40 years. The 50-year-old Spiro, Okla., native is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida A&M University (his son Armand is on the roster at wide receiver), where the team is 3-4, averaging 21.9 points per game. Burris previously coached in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams.
Rick Campbell
The son of the legendary Hugh Campbell has strong ties to the Redblacks as he was the team's first head coach, a position he held for six seasons and currently serves on the staff as the special teams coordinator. The 54-year-old has an 82-92-2 record as a CFL head coach and also recently spent four seasons with the BC Lions and is by far the most experienced candidate available. He also helped the Redblacks win the Gray Cup in 2016, although he won the previous two championships as an assistant.
Pat DelMonaco
The longtime coach has been an assistant with the Calgary Stampeders since 2014 and his ranking should rise given his team's progress this season. DelMonaco has experience on the offensive line, having coached the position since entering the CFL in 2010, although he has also been Calgary's offensive coordinator since 2021. The Sleepy Hollow, New York native won two Gray Cups with the Stampeders and could be a perfect fit for the Redblacks as they look to get tougher and more physical in 2026.
Ryan Dinwiddie
The 44-year-old native of Elk Grove, California, has been the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts for the past five seasons, compiling a 51-35 record, two Gray Cup victories and a Coach of the Year award. Dinwiddie is still under contract with the Argonauts through 2026, but he could be lured elsewhere if he gets some kind of raise. It seems a bit of a long shot, but perhaps this is the type of big step the Redblacks should take to show their fans that they are serious about getting back to winning football.
Brent Monson
Native of Hamilton, Ontario. made the most of his first year as defensive coordinator for his hometown Tiger-Cats as his unit finished first overall, helping secure first place in the East Division. Monson spent the previous 16 years with the Calgary Stampeders, including five seasons as defensive coordinator, helping them win two Gray Cups. After playing for the Burlington Braves of the Canadian Junior Football League and beginning his CFL career as a video assistant, Monson has given back every step of the way.
Mark Mueller
The 36-year-old is in his second season as offensive coordinator with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and has helped Trevor Harris play his best football since he turned 40 years old. Native of Regina, Sask. won two Gray Cups with the Calgary Stampeders and is the grandson of CFL legend Ron Lancaster, it always seemed like it was only a matter of time before he had a chance to become a head coach. If the Redblacks want a young attacking player to take the lead, Muller is likely the best choice.
Mike O'Shea
The longtime head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers likely isn't going anywhere, but he's not under contract for next season, meaning there's no reason the Redblacks couldn't try to bring him to the nation's capital. O'Shea went 117-77 in Winnipeg in 11 seasons, leading the team to five Gray Cup appearances and two CFL championships. 55-year-old native of North Bay, Ontario. has already been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a player, but should probably be inducted again as a coach.
Orlando Steinauer
The Seattle, Washington native spent the last two years as the Tiger-Cats' president of football operations after serving as the team's head coach for four seasons prior. Steinauer went 39-29 as Steeltown's head coach, winning the East Division and CFL Coach of the Year honors in 2019. The 52-year-old is a Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback who has strong ties to Redblacks general manager Sean Burke, with whom he worked in Hamilton for eight years.
Noel Thorpe
The Vancouver, British Columbia native has been a CFL assistant coach since 2002, including a two-year stint as the Redblacks defensive coordinator in the late 2010s. Thorpe has been Montreal's defensive coordinator for the past four seasons and his unit has been consistently strong, ranking first in yards allowed per game in 2025. The two-time Gray Cup champion deserves a shot at becoming a CFL head coach at some point, and given his recent success, there couldn't be a better time than now.
Jordan Junior
The 47-year-old Trenton, New Jersey native has been the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, helping the team finish first in offensive scoring both years. Younger spent nine seasons as a CFL defenseman and won four Gray Cups — two as a player and two as a coach. Given the success that Buck Pearce had in his first year with the BC Lions, it might be a good idea for Ottawa to select the Winnipeg coordinator as the team's next head coach.
