The president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Roughriders says changes were necessary after the troubled team extended its winless streak to nine games.
The club fired head coach Corey Chamblin, along with general manager and vice-president of football operations Brendan Taman on Monday night.
At a news conference Tuesday, Riders president and CEO Craig Reynolds spoke about what he called “a tough decision.”
“These are never easy decisions or changes, but these changes were necessary for us to move forward towards our vision of sustained success on the field,” Reynolds said.
“This club has high expectations and we clearly have not been meeting them. As a result, wholesale changes were required.”
Reynolds met with Taman following Sunday’s 35-13 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks, and says they both agreed that the Riders needed to make a coaching change.
“It fell to me to make a decision as to whether or not we also should be making a change in our general manager position,” Reynolds said.
“Managing our head coach and, ultimately, the results that we achieve on the field ultimately fall to our general manager.”
Special teams co-ordinator Bob Dyce has taken the reins as interim head coach.
“What I’m looking forward to right now is the opportunity ahead of me,” said Dyce. “We have a great opportunity right now to change the fortunes of this season and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Dyce said Brett Smith will be starting at quarterback in this Sunday’s Labour Day Classic against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Saskatchewan released quarterback Tino Sunseri on Tuesday.
The Riders have tapped assistant GM Jeremy O’Day to replace Taman on an interim basis.
“I have a great opportunity in front of me to show that I’m ready,” O’Day said. “I hope that my actions are going to speak louder than my words are and I think that I’m prepared and ready to go.”
O’Day added there’s no reason why the Riders can’t start winning games.
“Winning is very important, I want to make that very clear,” O’Day said. “Our ultimate goal, right off the bat, is to win this weekend. So, we’re going into every game to win them.”
