Ottawa Redblacks name former CFL slotback Mike Morreale as new president
The former CFL player and CEBL commissioner will lead a review of football operations for the struggling franchise.
OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks have named former CFL slotback Mike Morreale as their new president.
"I'm incredibly excited about the opportunity, and I understand the responsibility that comes with it," said Morreale. "This is about more than building a team that can win."
"It's about building an organization that can compete for championships and give people in Ottawa a reason to feel connected to and proud of the Redblacks. I know there is work ahead, and my focus will be on making the decisions needed to build that kind of organization that leads to success on and off the field."
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Morreale joins a franchise that has won just one of its 17 regular-season games.
He will lead a review of football operations and establish Ottawa's permanent football leadership structure.
Jim Popp, a former CFL general manager, joined the Redblacks in August as a senior football adviser.
Ryan Dinwiddie is completing his first season as Ottawa's head coach and general manager and is also serving as the club's offensive co-ordinator.
Morreale will also be tasked with helping Ottawa strengthen its approach to identifying, recruiting and developing players and will lead the development of a longer-term football and business plan to guide the club's priorities and establish a clear path forward.
"Our fans have every right to expect much more from the Redblacks than we have delivered," said Mark Goudie, the president and CEO of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group. "Mike has two clear jobs: build a football organization capable of competing for championships and reconnect this team with Ottawa."
"When this club was at its best, this city felt part of it. We need to earn that back."
Morreale, 55, of Hamilton, played 12 CFL seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and Tiger-Cats, winning two Grey Cups in 1996 and 1999.
He was the league's top Canadian in 1998 and received the Tom Pate Memorial Award two years later for outstanding contributions to his team, community and the CFL Players' Association.
Morreale registered 509 career catches for 6,649 yards and 24 touchdowns in 216 regular-season games.
He later served with the CFL Players' Association as its marketing director from 2007 to 2012 and as president from 2012 to 2014.
Morreale co-founded the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2017 and served as its inaugural commissioner, leaving that post in October 2025.
He succeeds Adrian Sciarra, who stepped down as team president in August. Shawn Burke, the team's vice-president of player operations, was fired a week later.
The Redblacks will conclude their 2026 campaign Saturday afternoon visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The team snapped a 22-game losing streak last Friday with its first victory of the season, defeating the Toronto Argonauts 40-39. Garbutt Disposal reported last week that rookie quarterback Bryson Barnes threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns in that win.
With files from The Globe and Mail, Sportsnet and CBC News