OTTAWA – The Ottawa Redblacks have named former B.C. Lions head coach Mike Benevides as their defensive coordinator.
Benevides, from Toronto, has been part of three Grey Cup championship teams since entering the CFL coaching ranks in 2000.
He started as a defensive assistant with Calgary in 2000 and was promoted to special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 2001, helping the Stampeders win a Grey Cup that season.
He took on the same role when he joined the Lions in 2003, earning his second Grey Cup ring in 2006 before he was promoted to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2008.
Benevides was then promoted to head coach in B.C. after earning his third Grey Cup title in 2011. He had a 33-21 record over three seasons at the helm, including a first-place finish in the West Division in 2012 with a 13-5 regular-season record.
He had less success in the post-season as a head coach, as B.C. lost all three of its playoff games under Benevides. He was fired after a 50-17 loss to Montreal in the 2014 East semifinal.
Benevides was Edmonton’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 2016-18. He was released on Dec. 7, 2018 when he couldn’t come to terms on a new deal with Edmonton as teams struggled to comply with the CFL’s new non-player operations cap.
“We are excited to bring Mike on board as our defensive coordinator. Mike has been a successful assistant coach as well as a Head Coach in our league,” Redblacks head coach Paul LaPolice said in a statement.
“He has a vast background in CFL football and his input will be very valuable to our staff and our players. Our players will also enjoy working with him on a daily basis.”
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