OTTAWA -- Rick Campbell always aspired to be a CFL head coach but only in the right situation. Jim Leonhard Bills Jersey . The ability to help build an expansion team from the ground up proved to be the right opportunity for the 42-year-old, who was hired Friday as the first head coach of the expansion Ottawa Redblacks. The Redblacks are scheduled to begin play next season. Campbell has spent 15 years coaching in the CFL but this will be his first as a head coach. "Ive wanted to be a head coach, but I didnt just want to do it to say I was a head coach," said Campbell. "It had to be a deal where I fit the team and the team fit me so it was a good situation and like I said I had a gut instinct about Ottawa." This will mark Ottawas third tenure in the CFL. The Rough Riders operated from 1876 to 96 and were a founding member of the CFL in 58. The Renegades were born in 02 but only operated through the 06 season before being suspended indefinitely by the league. Having the opportunity to be part of the Redblacks inaugural season was one of the more interesting aspects of the job for Campbell. "I think its incredibly unique that you get to build a football team from scratch," Campbell said. "Its very unique in football and in sports that you get to start something from scratch and build it the way you want to build it and that definitely was enticing to me, for sure." Not to say it wont be challenging. "Were going to have to get ourselves competitive fast," Campbell said. "Were behind all the other teams in that they have a lot of good football players and they have a lot of things in place. "Were going to have to hire an experienced enough coaching staff that knows the league so we can literally hit the ground running." Campbell has high hopes to field a competitive team in the Redblacks first season. "Im going to look at as were another team in the league right now," he said. "Were going to be signing players and coaches and were going to try to win as many games as we can. "You go into a year to try and win the big one. Were not going to get ahead of ourselves but were going to go and build it the best way we can and win as many games as we can, thats for sure." Campbell has spent the last two years as Calgarys defensive co-ordinator. This season the Stampeders led the league in sacks, with 63. The bulk of Campbells CFL coaching career was spent with the Edmonton Eskimos. Over the span of 11 seasons with the Eskimos, Campbell served as an assistant head coach, special-teams co-ordinator, secondary coach and defensive co-ordinator. He won Grey Cups with the Edmonton in 2003 and 2005. Redblacks general manager Marcel Desjardins said he interviewed six or seven candidates but Campbell stood out amongst the contenders. "The key thing was the fact he had coached special teams, he had coached defence as a co-ordinator and coached on offence as well,: Desjardins said. "Theres not too many people out there who have coached on all sides of the ball." While there remains much work to be done, Desjardins said theres a sense of relief in having a head coach in place. "Its a better relief knowing who it is," said Desjardins. "Im so comfortable with this choice on so many levels. "Personality wise our thought processes are the same. Just detailed, organized and then a big part of the equation too is who hes going to propose to us as a staff." While theres no timetable in place for the hiring of support staff, both Desjardins and Campbell say the process has begun already. Campbell wont have far to look for guidance, though. His father, Hugh Campbell, is a legend in Canadian football, leading the Edmonton Eskimos to five consecutive Grey Cup championships (1978-82) as head coach and four more as general manager. Hugh Campbell also was a receiver with the Saskatchewan Roughriders when they won their first CFL title in 66, upsetting the favoured Ottawa Rough Riders 29-14 in Vancouver. "I would always ask for advice from him if its there," Rick Campbell said. "We have a good relationship that he doesnt force things on me. "Hes my dad, Im his son and thats our relationship first and well talk ball once in a while." Campbell will have little time to settle into the position, as the CFL expansion draft will be held Dec. 16. Ottawa will select 24 players (eight imports, 16 Canadians) over three rounds. The Redblacks will take eight imports in the first round before selecting eight Canadians in each of the final two. Desjardins says Campbell will have input into player selection but in the end it will be all about picking the best available players. Cyrus Kouandjio Bills Jersey .500 at home and .500 overall (16-16-5). The win also snapped Floridas winning streak at five games. Jets are 10-4-1 vs. Alan Branch Bills Jersey . - Defenceman Nathan Beaulieu and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Phillip Danault and Zack Phillips headline the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues roster for the upcoming Subway Super Series versus Russia. LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers had every reason to quit down 17 points with 4 1/2 minutes to go. They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. But in their huddle, Doc Rivers and the other coaches told the players to keep believing. They did, and pulled out a wild 129-127 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. J.J. Redick scored a career-high 33 points, Matt Barnes added 25, Blake Griffin had 23 and Jamal Crawford scored 16, including a pair of free throws that gave the Clippers the lead with 11 seconds to go. They improved to 18-3 at home with their fourth straight win. "We locked in," Griffin said. "We made the plays down the stretch, they tightened up and got a little too comfortable." Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and Samuel Dalembert added a season-high 20 for the Mavs, whose three-game winning streak ended when they couldnt hold a 123-106 lead. Jose Calderon hit four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points. "Theres no way we should lose this game," Nowitzki said. "Weve got to do a better job of protecting a lead. We made some bad decisions and gave up some 3s." Redicks seventh 3-pointer with 34 seconds to go had the Clippers trailing 127-126. Nowitzkis step-back jumper hit the rim. "We had J.J. guarding Dirk on one play and it worked," Rivers said. "I cant explain that game." After Crawfords two free throws put the Clippers ahead 128-127, Calderon missed a 3-pointer with 3 seconds to go, and DeAndre Jordan got fouled. After his first free throw hit the right side of the backboard, he made the second for a 129-127 lead. DeJuan Blair inbounded the ball but his pass was intercepted by Jordan to end the heated and stunning finish. "It was like a playoff game the last three or four minutes. Everybody was mouthing back and forth and getting techs, and it became a brawl out there," Shawn Marion said. "But if you let that take away from what your main focus is -- executing at both ends of the floor -- then its going to take you out of your game." Griffin uttered expletives at Dalembert after they scrapped for a rebound near the baseline late in the game. One of the referees put both his arms around Griffins waist and backed him away. Nowitzki was waiting with an earful as Griffin ended up near him. "I was more upset about some of the things that were said than the situation," Griffin said. Dalembert was called for a technical. Griffin madde the free throw and the Clippers retained possession. Thurman Thomas Jersey. Crawford drove the basket and scored to pull them to 125-118. "It was a difficult and a physical game," Dalembert said. "Some calls were suspicious, and it was just one of those games. So many things happened in those seven minutes. We have to keep some of their guys under control." Redick said Dalembert stepped on his head and he ended up with a cut in his ear. "Any time a 270-pound man steps on your head it takes a little while to get it back," he said. Down 127-118, Barnes hit a 3-pointer and Nowitzki fouled Crawford on a 3-point attempt. Crawford made two of three free throws, pulling the Clippers to 127-123 with 1:10 to play. Crawford struggled for most of the game, and in the final 6 minutes the coaches were debating whether to take him out. "He was off-balance, he was going too fast and turning the ball over, yet you keep him in because he has ability to score," Rivers said. "He can miss 20 in a row. He just needs to make one and he thinks hes hot." Crawford credited Rivers patience with him this season for making a difference. "Hopefully I make him look good in the end for still believing in me," he said. Earlier in the fourth, Vince Carter was hit with a technical, one of four in the game for the Mavs. Griffin picked up one in the third. The Mavs outscored the Clippers 60-40 in the paint, and outrebounded them 47-38, with both teams shooting at least 50 per cent. "Thats awful on our part," Rivers said. Dallas opened the fourth with consecutive 3-pointers by Monta Ellis and Calderon. They keyed a 25-6 run that gave the Mavs a 123-106 lead. The Mavs borrowed a page from the Clippers high-flying playbook, with Brandan Wright dunking off Carters alley-oop pass against the Clippers hapless defence. Notes: Rivers said the team anticipates signing free agent F Hedo Turkoglu. Rivers expects Turkoglu to join the team for the start of its seven-day, 11-city trip that begins Friday in New York. Turkoglu was cut by Orlando earlier this month. He played just 11 games last season because of injuries and a 20-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs. ... Clippers F Reggie Bullock returned after hurting his left ankle on Dec. 7 at Cleveland. ... Mavs G Devin Harris, who had left foot surgery, isnt expected to play this trip. ... The Clippers Grammy trip comes a month earlier than usual since the music awards held at Staples Center were moved up to avoid conflicting with the Olympics. ' ' '
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