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.

TheLionshave namedco-general manager Neil McEvoy vice-presidentof 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 thatCampbellbrought the club "back to respectabilityandcontention."

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

Campbell, 53, joined theLionsin December 2019 following six seasons with the OttawaRedblacks, including the 2016 campaign where they won the Grey Cup.

HeandMcEvoy were madeco-general managers aheadofthe 2021 season after formerGMEd 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 playand2-3 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

2 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 theLionswere ousted from this year's playoffs,Campbelltold reporters every position within the club would be evaluated.

"There's a lotofdecisions to be made," he said. "I think there's a lotofpieces here that are good. There's a good foundation here.

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

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

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

Hailing from Spokane, Wash., Campbell grew up in Edmonton where his dad, HughCampbell, coached the Eskimos to five straight Grey Cups between 1978and1982.

Campbell went to Washington State University, then worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon before taking on the roleofdefensive backscoachwith the Eskimos in 1999.

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