The Ottawa Redblacks have fired head coach Paul LaPolice.
LaPolice was told he was being let go soon after the Redblacks, who lost 34-19 Friday night in B.C., arrived back in Ottawa on Saturday morning. Special teams co-ordinator Bob Dyce will be the team’s interim head coach.
With LaPolice as head coach and offensive co-ordinator for the past two Canadian Football League seasons, the Redblacks had gone a disappointing 6-22. While there are still four games left in the 2022 regular season — two each against the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats — the odds are heavily stacked against Ottawa squeaking into the playoffs.
The 52-year-old LaPolice, who had a year remaining on his contract, had been heavily criticized on social media platforms for his play calling and for decisions he made as head coach. But there should be no questioning his passion, his work ethic and his want to help the Redblacks become a better football team.
“I have enjoyed working with Paul and thank him for his contributions to this team over the past two seasons; today isn’t an easy day,” Redblacks general manager Shawn Burke said in a statement. “In this business, sometimes a change is required to help move a team forward, and that’s what we’ve done here. We’re fortunate to have a coach of Bob Dyce’s calibre and experience able to step up and take on this role.”
“Paul is an excellent man who has put everything he has into this job. But, unfortunately, we haven’t won nearly enough games,” Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group CEO Mark Goudie said, also in a statement. “We are committed to getting back to what RNation deserves, which is exciting and winning football.”
The Redblacks will hold a media conference Monday, when they will announce plans for who calls offensive plays for the remainder of the season.
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After Rick Campbell left the Redblacks following the 2019 season (when the team finished with a dreadful 3-15 record), the Redblacks hired LaPolice, who had been head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2010 to 2012. After the Bombers finished 4-14 record in 2010, they got to the Grey Cup in 2011 with a 10-8 record. He was fired as that team’s head coach when the Bombers started the 2012 season with a 2-6 record.
Before beginning his CFL career, LaPolice broke into coaching at Maine Maritime Academy in 1993. He spent eight seasons in the collegiate coaching ranks, culminating at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as offensive co-ordinator; his offences broke 21 offensive school records in two seasons. He came to the CFL in 2000 as quarterbacks/receivers coach with the Toronto Argonauts. After two seasons with them, he went to Winnipeg, then to Hamilton, then back to Toronto, to Saskatchewan, back to Winnipeg (as Bombers head coach in 2010-12), then to TSN as a CFL analyst before returning to the Bombers in 2016 as offensive co-ordinator.
While LaPolice could not be reached for comment, he posted a lengthy statement on Twitter.
“Although I am disappointed in what happened, I understand that each year in pro sports coaches are fired. I am accountable for our record and we have not won enough games this season. A narrative will be written that I was not Shawn Burke’s guy because he did not hire me; that cannot be further from the truth. Since the opening press conference, he has been an outstanding, supportive general manager who always looks to find solutions, and it was a pleasure to work with him this past year.
“I cannot thank enough the players, coaches and staff I had the honour and privilege to work with the past few years. I have loved my time with the people of this football team, I loved my time interacting with the people of Ottawa, and I will now love to spend some much-needed time with the family.”
“Everybody talks about how creative an offensive mind he is,” Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said soon after the Redblacks hired LaPolice. “What trumps that is his tireless work ethic. That guy has boundless energy. He’s hard to keep up with, that’s for sure. He’s been a lot of fun to work with the last bunch of years. (The Redblacks) know what they’re getting, it’s on tape every week. Sometimes I think the interview process is not necessary. When you have a guy like LaPo, you should probably be just handing him a contract and hiring him.”
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