Ottawa Redblacks fire general manager Marcel Desjardins
The Ottawa Redblacks have fired Marcel Desjardins, the only general manager in franchise history.
Desjardins said Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group CEO Mark Goudie visited his office early Monday morning and told him the team was making a change.
“I said well, I think you guys are making a mistake, but that’s up to you guys, and thanks very much, and packed my bag and came back home,” Desjardins told TSN 1200’s John Rodenburg and Shawn Simpson.
“It’s disappointing to leave on this note, but at the end of the day it’s the business. I’m looking ahead.”
The Redblacks were eliminated from playoff contention after a 32-3 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday. The team has a 2-9 record this season.
Goudie said in a statement that Desjardins, the first employee hired by the team in 2013, "has put everything that he has into our organization."
"His many accomplishments include bringing Ottawa its first Grey Cup win in 40 years," Goudie said. "I respect Marcel very much and thank him for his unwavering commitment to the REDBLACKS, RNation and our community.”
Desjardins said he still believes the team is on the right track, but admitted he was disappointed in the results this year.
“We do a lot of things the right way, we just don’t end up with the results, and that’s the disappointing part. And I take responsibility for that.”
However, he also suggested that others bear responsibility for the team’s lacklustre results.
“There are obviously things that I could have done better, but there are things that a lot of people could have done better,” he told TSN 1200. “At the end of the day, if there’s anything to be learned from this, it’s when decisions have to be made, make sure you control your own destiny. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mode where that’s concerned, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Assistant general manager Jeremy Snyder is taking over as interim general manager for the rest of the season, the team said Monday. Jean-Marc Edmé, who has been with the organization since 2016, will assume the Interim Assistant General Manager role. Snyder has been with the organization since 2013, and Edmé since 2016.
Redblacks last in East Division
The Redblacks have not made the playoffs since losing in the 2018 Grey Cup game to the Calgary Stampeders. They missed the playoffs in 2019, and the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They sit in last in the East Division this season.
The franchise hired Desjardins in 2013 as its first-ever general manager. He oversaw the assembly of a roster, led by quarterback Henry Burris, that led to a Grey Cup appearance in 2015 and a Grey Cup victory the following year.
Before joining the Redblacks, he spent the prior 10 seasons as an assistant general manager with the Montreal Alouettes.
Asked whether he has a message for the fans of the team on Monday, Desjardins was blunt.
“Some of them have been great, some of them have been very difficult on me, especially,” he said.
“To those who were supportive, thank you. To those who weren’t, you got what you wanted.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.