BC Lions Football Club on Monday announced that Rick Campbell has been named the 27th head coach in team history.

Campbell, who will also serve as the team’s defensive coordinator, takes over the reins of the Leos after serving as head coach of the Ottawa RedBlacks from 2014 to 2019. In that time, the 48-year-old native of Spokane, Washington, transformed the expansion club into an East Division power that enjoyed three trips to the Grey Cup in 2015, 2016 and 2018; taking home the title in an overtime win over Calgary in 2016.

Enjoying a varied, effective and accomplished coaching career which began more than 20 years ago as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon, Campbell has served on coaching staffs in Edmonton (’99-’08, ’11), Winnipeg (2009) and Calgary (2010, ’12-’13) before being named Ottawa’s first head coach in 2014.

A three-time Grey Cup champion, Rick’s two decades spent in the CFL include roles as an assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, defensive backs coach and running backs coach. Rick was named the CFL’s Coach of the Year in 2015 after leading Ottawa to a Grey Cup appearance in just his second year at the helm.

“I am both grateful and elated to be coming to Vancouver for this incredible opportunity,” said Campbell. “This is a roster brimming with talent and a ton of untapped potential, and I can’t wait to get started with Ed on building a champion for fans of the Lions.”