The Ottawa Redblacks fired head coach Bob Dies on Saturday, a day after the team ended the season with its sixth straight loss.
“This is a difficult day as Bob poured his heart, sweat and tears into our organization for the last 11 years. His work ethic and desire to get the best out of his players was evident every day,” general manager Sean Burke said in a statement. “Bob is someone I worked with daily and leaned on as a colleague and friend. I want to thank him for all of his contributions to our team and wish him the best for the future.”
The move comes after Friday's 35-15 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a season that saw Ottawa eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth time since reaching the 2018 Gray Cup.
Speaking to reporters after the loss, Dice reflected on his decade with the organization.
“Things have been up and down during this time, but it’s always nice to work with good people,” Dice said. “I've worked with a lot of good people here, made a lot of lifelong friends, and you just move on.
“Life is a journey, right? It's kind of like a river, a lot of turns here, there and beyond, and you're just fighting through the hard times. You don't know where it's going to end (or) when it's going to end, so just be grateful for the time you have, that's all.”
Dice joined the Redblacks in 2016 as special teams coordinator and helped the team win its first Gray Cup championship that year.
The Winnipeg native became the club's third head coach in October 2022, initially on an interim basis before being hired full-time.
Last season, he led Ottawa to its first playoff appearance in five years, going 9-8-1 and posting a franchise-best 7-1-1 record at TD Place.
But the Redblacks fell back this year, finishing 4-14. Dice's overall record as head coach in Ottawa was 18-39-1.
Before joining the Redblacks, Dice spent six seasons on the coaching staff of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, winning the Gray Cup in 2013, and began his CFL career with his hometown Blue Bombers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2025.
