The Edmonton Elks have been granted permission to speak to fired B.C. Lions head coach about their own head coaching vacancy, according to a new report from TSN’s Farhan Lalji.
The Lions fired Campbell on Wednesday after a disappointing 9-9 season in 2024. He had one year remaining on his contract at the time of the move, which requires interested parties to contact his former club before interviewing him.
The 53-year-old was hired as the Lions’ head coach on December 2, 2019, by then-general manager Ed Hervey, who was announced as Edmonton’s GM on Tuesday. In four seasons at the helm, he posted a 38-30 record, leading the team to two West Final appearances.
Before his time in B.C., Campbell spent six seasons in control of the expansion Ottawa Redblacks. He led that franchise to three Grey Cup appearances, winning it all in 2016. Campbell has an all-time record of 82-92-2 as a head coach and was named the CFL’s Coach of the Year in 2015.
The Spokane, Wash. native has deep ties to Edmonton, having spent a significant portion of his childhood in the city. His father, Hugh Campbell, won nine Grey Cups as a head coach and administrator with the Green and Gold, becoming one of the franchise’s most legendary figures. Rick later coached for the organization in two separate stints from 1999 to 2008 and again in 2011, rising from defensive backs coach to special teams coordinator, defensive coordinator, and eventually assistant head coach.
The Lions also confirmed on Wednesday that the Elks had requested permission to speak to offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic about the role. The 37-year-old native of nearby St. Albert, Alta. was B.C.’s play-caller for the entirety of Campbell’s tenure in B.C. after having previously served as Edmonton’s offensive coordinator in 2019. He is also expected to interview for the Lions’ top job.
The Elks finished the 2024 season with a 7-11 record, missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. Head coach Chris Jones was fired mid-season, with offensive coordinator Jarious Jackson taking over in an interim capacity.
