[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
CFL.ca Staff OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS have revealed on Friday their coaching staff in advance of the 2025 CFL season. Bob Dyce heads into his third season as the team’s head coach, alongside returning offensive coordinator Tommy Condell, new defensive coordinator William Fields, and Rick Campbell as special teams coordinator, back in Ottawa for the first time since 2019. The offensive staff again includes receivers coach Travis Moore, and running backs Coach Nate Taylor, while Mike Gibson is back with the REDBLACKS as the team’s new offensive line coach. On defence, linebackers Coach Deion Melvin returns with the added title of assistant head coach, while Kai Ellis joins the team as defensive line Coach, alongside Myron Lewis as defensive backs coach. Isaiah Johns, who spent 2024 Training Camp with the REDBLACKS as a coaching intern, now joins the group as a coaching assistant. “I am thrilled to continue working with Tommy, Travis, Nate, and Deion, and ecstatic about adding Will, Rick, Mike, Kai, Myron, and Isaiah to our staff,” said Dyce. “Our group contains a wealth of both experience and new blood, and we’re all excited to get back to work with our talented group of players to build on the positive growth we had last season.” RELATED » Why 2025 could be the REDBLACKS’ year » Six is Back: REDBLACKS sign Adarius Pickett to one-year extension » Just In Time: REDBLACKS, Hardy agree to one-year extension » REDBLACKS, Addison agree to one-year contract extension » Buy tickets for the 2025 season » View the 2025 schedule here » Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates Ottawa REDBLACKS’ 2025 coaching staff Bob Dyce, head coach Tommy Condell, offensive coordinator William Fields, defensive coordinator Rick Campbell, special teams coordinator Travis Moore, receivers coach Nate Taylor, running backs coach Mike Gibson, offensive line coach Deion Melvin, linebackers coach and assistant head coach Kai Ellis, defensive line coach Myron Lewis, defensive backs coach Isaiah Johns, coaching assistant Dyce enters his third season as head coach, after leading the REDBLACKS back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season, and to their best ever home record of 7-1-1. He was named interim head coach late in the 2022 campaign, and was officially given the position ahead of the 2023 season. A native of Winnipeg, Dyce arrived in the nation’s capital in 2016 as special teams coordinator, and helped the club to their first Grey Cup championship that season. He entered the CFL coaching ranks in 2003 as receivers coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and his resumé includes seven years in Winnipeg (2003-09) as receivers coach, six years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2010-15) as passing game coordinator/receivers coach, offensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator, as well as a stretch in 2015 as the team’s interim head coach. Dyce won his first Grey Cup with the Riders in 2013. Condell enters his second season as the REDBLACKS’ offensive play-caller, after helping them to finish second in passing yards (5,455) in 2024. He served as offensive coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2019 to 2023, while also taking on the role of quarterbacks coach from 2020 on. The Utica, NY product helped the Ticats reach the Grey Cup in 2019, and 2021, and won a championship with the Toronto Argonauts as their Quarterbacks Coach in 2017, earning the offensive coordinator job the following year. Prior to an earlier stint with Hamilton from 2013 to 2015, Condell also spent time with the Roughriders as their offensive coordinator in 2006, and as quarterbacks/receivers coach and passing game coordinator of the Ottawa Renegades from 2004 until 2005. He broke into the league as special teams coordinator of the Blue Bombers in 1997. Former Argos co-defensive coordinator Will Fields joins the REDBLACKS staff as defensive coordinator (Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca) Fields was promoted to co-defensive coordinator by the Argos ahead of the 2024 season, while maintaining the secondary coach role that he was hired for in 2022. In his first season with the added title, the McKeesport, PA native helped lead Toronto to their second championship in three seasons, forcing five turnovers against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to secure the 111th Grey Cup. It was the second Grey Cup as a coach for Fields, who also helped the team to victory in 2022. After coaching at Cypress Christian School, and Simon Fraser University, Fields was hired as an assistant defensive backs coach for the BC Lions in 2015. He would go on to make stops in Montreal, Hamilton (serving as defensive backs coach in 2018), and Edmonton as an assistant, before earning a secondary coach job with the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020, and Peru State College from 2020 to 2021. As a player, Fields suited up for the Calgary Stampeders, helping them capture the 89th Grey Cup in 2001. He also spent time the Bombers, before appearing in the Arena Football League. Campbell spent the last four years serving as head coach and co-general Manager of the Lions, leading the team to a pair of Western Final appearances in three seasons. A native of Spokane, WA, the REDBLACKS made Campbell their first head coach in franchise history in 2014. He led them to their first Grey Cup in 2016, and would see the team to another appearance in 2018. Campbell first worked as a graduate assistant at Oregon, before joining the Edmonton organization as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach in 1999, helping them win the Grey Cup in 2003. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2005, winning another Grey Cup that season, before making stops with the Bombers, and Stampeders. Campbell returned to Edmonton as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator in 2011, before rejoining the Stampeders as their defensive coordinator the following season. Moore has been back with the REDBLACKS since 2023, after initially coaching the club’s receivers from 2014 to 2017. He helped the team to appear in two Grey Cups during that span, and winning one in 2016 alongside Dyce and Campbell. The 10-year former CFLer had coached with Saskatchewan since 2018 prior to beginning his second stint in Ottawa. As a player, Moore played 10 seasons for the Stampeders and the Roughriders, winning a pair of Grey Cups with Calgary in 1998 and 2001. Taylor enters his third season with the REDBLACKS, all of which have been spent as running backs coach. The Montreal native and former defensive back for the Concordia Stingers was previously the offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. Taylor joined the school as full-time special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator in 2016. In 2019, he worked as the team’s receivers coach, while still serving as recruiting coordinator. Gibson is no stranger to the nation’s capital, and to the CFL at large. The McKeesport, Pennsylvania product is back in Ottawa after serving as their offensive coordinator in 2014, before becoming head coach of the Regina Rams in 2015. He’d go on to spend two seasons with Edmonton as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, before adding assistant head coach to his title in 2019, and being hired by the Ticats as offensive line coach in 2020. Prior to his time in Ottawa, Gibson was offensive line coach and running backs coach in Calgary, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach in Hamilton, along with offensive line coach stops in Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg. At the college level, he has coached at Cornell, Boston, Temple, Colgate, Rutgers, and Louisiana. Melvin is back for a second season with the REDBLACKS, and first with the added title of assistant head coach. He spent the previous four years as linebackers coach of the Roughriders, before arriving in the nation’s capital. Prior to coming north of the border, Melvin’s coaching career began at East Aurora H.S. where he worked as a graduate assistant in the early 1990’s. He would go on to coach at Western Illinois, Missouri State, Georgia Southern, Bowling Green, Ball State, and Lindenwood University. In a coaching career that spans over 30 years, Melvin has gained experience working with players in all three aspects of the game; from offence, to defence, to special teams. As a player, he was an All-American and all-league honoree with the College of Dupage. Ellis makes his way to the CFL coaching ranks after spending more than a decade coaching college football south of the border. A product of Kent, WA, he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Adams State from 2022 to 2023, after being hired as defensive line Coach in 2018, and also working with linebackers. Ellis was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Briar Cliff in 2017, after spending two years as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at West Hills Coaliga. His first job as a coach came as an assistant defensive line coach at Washington in 2013, before earning a defensive line coach job at Culver-Stockton the following year. As a player, Ellis enjoyed an 11-year pro career; spent with the San Francisco 49ers, Stampeders, Renegades, Alouettes, Blue Bombers, and the San Jose Sabercats. Lewis joined the CFL coaching ranks in 2024, working alongside Fields and winning a Grey Cup as a defensive backs coach with the Argos. Prior to his time with the Double Blue, the Orlando, FL native worked as a Coach at the B.E.S.T. (Best, Engineering, Science, and Technology) Academy in Atlanta from 2018 to 2023; working his way up from assistant wide receivers coach, to defensive backs coach, to defensive coordinator, to associate head coach and director of operations. During his playing career, Lewis was a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Vanderbilt in 2010. He’d spend three seasons with the Bucs before a stint with the Detroit Lions, and then found his way to pro leagues such as the Fall Experimental Football League, the Arena Football League, the Indoor Football League, and the CFL, where he spent time with BC and Edmonton. Johns has worked with defensive backs at the University of Windsor, also earning the title of recruiting coordinator. The former University of Toronto defensive back has also served as linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator for Team Ontario’s U16 program. In November 2023, he was recognized by Ontario University Athletics as the conference’s second-ever recipient of the Champion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion award. Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
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