The Toronto Argonauts have interviewed Rick Campbell for the team's head coaching position, according to sources.
The Argos requested and received permission from the Redblacks to undergo the procedure with Campbell, according to CFL rules. The 54-year-old spent the 2025 season as Ottawa's special teams coordinator.
Campbell has served as a head coach twice in the CFL, once with the Redblacks and most recently with the BC Lions. In 2015, he was named the league's three-loss Coach of the Year.
The Spokane, Washington native was hired as Ottawa's head coach when the team expanded in 2014 and remained there until 2019. He posted a 44-62-2 win-loss record with the Redblacks, leading Ottawa to three Gray Cup appearances during his tenure and one win in 2016.
Campbell left the nation's capital to become BC's head coach in December 2019. He added a second general manager to his duties as the CFL returned to the field following the COVID-19 pandemic. The veteran bench player posted a 38-30 win-loss record over four seasons on the West Coast, but was fired on Nov. 20, 2024, after the Leos lost in the western semi-finals to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Hugh Campbell's son got his first league coaching job with Edmonton as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator in 1999, a position he held until 2004. Since then, he has served as Edmonton's defensive coordinator (2005-2008), Winnipeg's defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator (2009), and Calgary's running backs coach (2010). Edmonton assistant coach and special teams coordinator (2011) and Calgary defensive coordinator (2012-13), earning two Gray Cups as an assistant coach in 2003 and 2005.
Campbell, who has been a Canadian citizen since 2011, has an 82-92-2 record as a CFL head coach and one Gray Cup victory.
The Argonauts' head coaching position became available after Ryan Dinwiddie, the team's two-time Gray Cup winning head coach, left for the Ottawa Redblacks to become bench coach and general manager.. Toronto ussuccessfully tried to woo Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea. Then Targets former Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Kent Austin.
3DownNation reports that Toronto special teams coordinator Mickey Donovan has interviewed for the vacant position.along with other assistant coaches from last season's coaching staff.
The Argos finished third in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 5-13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Chad Kelly was unable to play the entire season due to a broken leg he suffered in the 2024 Eastern Division finals. Nick Arbuckle threw for 4,370 yards, 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions to be named the team's Most Outstanding Player.
Toronto ranked seventh in net offense, sixth in net defense and seventh in turnover differential of minus-eight. The team's leading rusher was Spencer Brown with 314 yards, the leading receiver was Dejon Brissett with 907 yards, and the leading tackler was Cameron Judge with 79 tackles. The Argos ranked ninth in attendance with an average of 15,109 fans at BMO Field, down 0.1 percent from the previous year.
