B.C. Lions fire head coach and co-GM Rick Campbell as part of sweeping changes

The B.C. Lions have fired head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell. 

The Lions have named co-general manager Neil McEvoy vice-president of football operations and promoted assistant general manager Ryan Rigmaiden to general manager.

The team made the announcement Wednesday, with president Duane Vienneau saying in a statement that Campbell brought the club "back to respectability and contention." 

The move comes after a season where the Lions started 5-1, then lost five straight games and finished with a 9-9 record. B.C. made the playoffs, but lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Conference semifinal.

Campbell, 53, joined the Lions in December 2019 following six seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, including the 2016 campaign where they won the Grey Cup. 

He and McEvoy were made co-general managers ahead of the 2021 season after former GM Ed Hervey stepped down.

The COVID-19 pandemic postponed his first game with B.C. until 2021. The team had a 38-30 record in regular-season play and 2-3 in playoff appearances over Campbell's four seasons at the helm.

WATCH | Team president says 'business decision' made to fire Campbell: 

B.C. Lions president cites 'very hard day' after coach Rick Campbell fired

7 days ago

Duration 9:37

Rick Campbell, who was coach and co-general manager of Vancouver's CFL team, was fired on Wednesday after a disappointing end to the 2024 season. Team president Duane Vienneau said it was time for the franchise to make a change of direction.

After the Lions were ousted from this year's playoffs, Campbell told reporters every position within the club would be evaluated. 

"There's a lot of decisions to be made," he said. "I think there's a lot of pieces here that are good. There's a good foundation here.

"But we're going to have to be really smart on the deletions and additions that we make to make us better."

The coach added that he didn't expect to be looking for work over the off-season. 

"I'm working and I'm doing my thing," he said. "I haven't heard otherwise." 

Hailing from Spokane, Wash., Campbell grew up in Edmonton where his dad, Hugh Campbell, coached the Eskimos to five straight Grey Cups between 1978 and 1982. 

Campbell went to Washington State University, then worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon before taking on the role of defensive backs coach with the Eskimos in 1999. 

He also held coaching roles with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders before joining the Redblacks in 2014.