# List of Ottawa Football Clubs head coaches

The following is an incomplete list of Ottawa Football Clubs head coaches in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and preceding Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Quebec Rugby Football Union (QRFU), and Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU). The current incarnation of the club, Ottawa Redblacks, are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario, and are members of the East Division of the CFL.
As defined in the 2021 CFL Guide & Record Book, for historical record purposes and by the current Ottawa Redblacks' request, the Ottawa Football Clubs are considered to be a single entity since 1876 with two periods of inactivity (1997–2001 and 2006–2013). Consequently, this list includes figures from the Ottawa Football Club (1876–1898), Ottawa Rough Riders (1899–1925, 1931–1996), Ottawa Senators (1926–1930), Ottawa Renegades (2002–2005), and Ottawa Redblacks (2014–present).
The club was founded as the Ottawa Football Club in 1876 and was a founding member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union in 1883 and of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in 1907. The current Ottawa Redblacks head coach is Bob Dyce.

## Key

General :
| # | Number of coaches |
| † | Elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the builders category |
| Achievements | Achievements during their Ottawa head coaching tenure |
Regular season :
| GC | Games coached | T | Ties = 1 point |
| W | Wins = 2 points | PTS | Points |
| L | Losses = 0 points | W% | Winning percentage |
Playoffs and Grey Cup :
| PGC | Games coached |
| PW | Wins |
| PL | Losses |
| PW% | Winning percentage |

## Head coaches

Note: Statistics are current through the end of the 2024 CFL season.
| # | Name | Term | GC | W | L | T | PTS | W% | PGC | PW | PL | PW% | Achievements |
| 1 | Tom Clancy | 1904–1911 | 48 | 31 | 17 | 0 | 62 | .646 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | |
| 2 | Doc Galvin | 1912 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | .667 | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 | Bill Stanton | 1913 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | .667 | — | — | — | — | |
| 4 | Eddie Gerard | 1914 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 | Frank Shaughnessy† | 1915 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | .333 | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 | Dave McCann† | 1919 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | .333 | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 | Silver Quilty† | 1920 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | .500 | — | — | — | — | |
| — | Tom Clancy | 1921–1922 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 10 | .292 | — | — | — | — | |
| — | Silver Quilty† | 1923 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | .167 | — | — | — | — | |
| — | Dave McCann† | 1924–1927 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 6 | .625 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 13th Grey Cup championship 14th Grey Cup championship |
| 8 | Walter Gilhooly | 1928 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | |
| 9 | Joe Miller | 1929 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |
| 10 | Andy Davies† | 1930 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |
| — | Dave McCann† | 1931–1932 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |
| 11 | Wally Masters | 1933–1934 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 | .333 | — | — | — | — | |
| 12 | Billy Hughes† | 1935–1936 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 16 | .533 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .250 | |
| 13 | Ross Trimble | 1937–1945 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 56 | .778 | 19 | 12 | 7 | .632 | 28th Grey Cup championship |
| 14 | George Fraser | 1946 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 14 | .583 | — | — | — | — | |
| 15 | Sammy Fox | 1947 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 16 | .667 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |
| — | Wally Masters | 1948–1950 | 36 | 25 | 10 | 1 | 51 | .708 | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | |
| 16 | Clem Crowe | 1951–1954 | 52 | 21 | 31 | 0 | 42 | .404 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 39th Grey Cup championship |
| 17 | Chan Caldwell | 1955 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6 | .250 | — | — | — | — | |
| 18 | Frank Clair† | 1956–1969 | 196 | 116 | 75 | 5 | 237 | .605 | 35 | 19 | 16 | .543 | 1966 Annis Stukus Trophy winner 1969 Annis Stukus Trophy winner 48th Grey Cup championship 56th Grey Cup championship 57th Grey Cup championship |
| 19 | Jack Gotta | 1970–1973 | 56 | 30 | 26 | 0 | 60 | .536 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 1972 Annis Stukus Trophy winner 1973 Annis Stukus Trophy winner 61st Grey Cup championship |
| 20 | George Brancato | 1974–1984 | 176 | 82 | 90 | 4 | 168 | .477 | 5 | 8 | 9 | .471 | 1975 Annis Stukus Trophy winner 64th Grey Cup championship |
| 21 | Joe Moss | 1985–1986 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 18 | .345 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| 22 | Tom Dimitroff | 1986 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .100 | — | — | — | — | |
| 23 | Fred Glick | 1987–1988 | 21 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 6 | .143 | — | — | — | — | |
| 24 | Bob Weber | 1988 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 4 | .133 | — | — | — | — | |
| 25 | Steve Goldman | 1989–1991 | 40 | 11 | 29 | 0 | 22 | .275 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| 26 | Joe Faragalli | 1991 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| 27 | Ron Smeltzer | 1992–1993 | 36 | 13 | 23 | 0 | 26 | .361 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |
| 28 | Adam Rita | 1994 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 8 | .222 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| 29 | Jim Gilstrap | 1995–1996 | 20 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 6 | .150 | — | — | — | — | |
| 30 | John Payne | 1996 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 6 | .188 | — | — | — | — | |
| 31 | Joe Paopao | 2002–2005 | 72 | 23 | 49 | 0 | 46 | .319 | — | — | — | — | |
| 32 | John Jenkins | 2006 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Team folded before Jenkins coached a game. |
| 33 | Rick Campbell | 2014–2019 | 108 | 44 | 62 | 2 | 90 | .417 | 7 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 2015 Annis Stukus Trophy winner 104th Grey Cup championship |
| 34 | Paul LaPolice | 2020–2022 | 28 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 12 | .214 | — | — | — | — | |
| 35 | Bob Dyce | 2022–present | 40 | 14 | 25 | 1 | 10 | .363 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
* Tom Clancy was the team's first head coach upon entry into the IRFU.
* Dave McCann led the Rough Riders to Grey Cup victories in 1925 and 1926.
* Ross Trimble won the 28th Grey Cup as the team's head coach.
* Frank Clair has the most regular season, playoff, and Grey Cup wins as Ottawa's head coach.
* Joe Paopao was the only head coach of the Ottawa Renegades while they were active.
* Rick Campbell was the inaugural head coach for the Ottawa Redblacks and won the 104th Grey Cup.
* Current head coach, Bob Dyce, during the 2022 season.