Former B.C. Lions coach too classy to hold a grudge
Claybrooks says getting fired is part of life and he’s preparing for his next opportunity
Since being fired by the B.C.
Lions in early November, former head coach Devone Claybrooks has attended the wedding of the man who replaced him, Rick Campbell; joined Calgary Black Chambers, an organization that fosters diversity and mentorship; taken online construction management courses; attended the Super Bowl in Miami; started a workplace sanitizing company called Regal Cleaning that officially launches July 1; laid the groundwork to become an Amazon delivery service provider; entertained job offers in sports radio and TV and assistant coaching opportunities in the NFL; lost some weight; tried gardening; pursued permanent residency status; and happily collected his full salary from the Lions.
There hasn’t been time to grieve the loss of a job he enjoyed too briefly.
“When you can grow up the way I grew up — your mom was on drugs, you were raised by your grandparents, you’ve been in foster homes, you’ve had all these things happen to you — I’ve been through way more trials and tribulations than getting fired as a head coach.”
“That’s not a defining moment. That will be just a blip on the screen in the grand scheme of my life,” Claybrooks said Friday from his home in Calgary. “Going through getting fired as a coach, that’s easy. On top of that, it’s not like you’re fired from a regular job and you’ve got to find another one. You’re still getting a salary.”
The Lions went 5-13 with Claybrooks at the helm in 2019. Their offensive line was atrocious out of the gate and quarterback Mike Reilly was constantly being sacked. At 1-9 they finally replaced O-line coach Bryan Chiu with Kelly Bates and shored up their protection enough to string together a four-game winning streak that screeched to a halt on Oct. 12 when Reilly suffered a broken wrist in Edmonton.
The Lions lost five games by five points or less; the average was 11. Claybrooks had signed a three-year deal and thought he would have more time to make his bones, especially since GM Ed Hervey totally remade the roster in the off-season.
And there is precedence for patience with rookie head coaches. Winnipeg’s Mike O’shea was 7-11 in his first year and 5-13 in his second season, and still got a third chance to turn the team around. Paul Lapolice was 4-14 in his first year for the Bombers before going 10-8. Campbell was 2-16 with the expansion Redblacks before going 12-6 the next year.
But the Lions cut Claybrooks loose after one season.
“I was told by my boss, Ed, that he did everything he can to fight to get us another year, but at the end of the day, the owner (David Braley) decided on a different direction,” said Claybrooks. “Like I’ve said a number of times, when your name is on the front of the cheque, you can dictate what happens to the guy who signs the back of the cheque.
“I have no ill will toward anybody in B.C. I think it’s a great organization. I love the players that I had. I still talk to them.”
Despite the firing, Claybrooks hung around Vancouver well into the off-season, and on occasion had dinner and drinks with Campbell, who resigned his head coaching job in Ottawa on Nov. 4 and was hired by B.C. on Dec. 2. The two have been friends for a decade after working on the same Stampeders’ coaching staff.
“One thing I can say about
Rick is that he’s a standup guy. He’s one of my best friends. I owe him a lot,” said Claybrooks. “We have a great relationship. If you’re fortunate enough to resign from one opportunity and walk right into another, you can’t ask for a better situation on his end. Honestly. Do I have any ill will? No. I would work for Rick again. Not an issue.”
Claybrooks is a man of many friends, words and talents. He is motivated, loyal and confident, and his one-and-done tenure with B.C. hasn’t shaken him.
“When you get fired, it’s only human nature to go, ‘Well, should I have done this different and that different?’ But then you get a phone call from a head coach in the NFL that you know and he goes, ‘Everybody has been there. Stay true to your values and beliefs.’
“I know for a fact when I look at myself in the mirror, I’m a hell of a football coach. I know that my peers respect me because I’ve got phone calls from somebody on pretty much every team in this league, who want to see what I’m doing.”
He’s obviously doing plenty outside of the game, but he’s also careful to keep tapping into his network of football contacts on both sides of the 49th parallel. If and when the right opportunity comes along, he’ll be ready.
“I’m still looking at film, scheming defences. I’ve developed an 11-man playbook and a 12-man playbook. I’ve tried to use my time wisely. And I tried to plant some flowers and garden but clearly my mom (Sally) has got the only green thumb.”