Randy Ambrosie hired as new CFL commish

TORONTO — Randy Ambrosie has been officially hired as the next commissioner of the CFL, a league source has confirmed to The Canadian Press.

The source said the CFL has scheduled a news conference in Toronto today to formally announce the appointment of the 14th commissioner in league history.

Ambrosie will take over from Jeffrey Orridge, who stepped down last month after just over two years on the job. Board chairman Jim Lawson has been serving as interim commissioner since Orridge’s departure.

Word surfaced last week that Ambrosie had been hired to replace Orridge. But league officials said the reports were premature because the move hadn’t been made official with the board’s vote on Ambrosie’s appointment.

But the source said the CFL board met via teleconference Tuesday afternoon to discuss the hiring of Ambrosie. The league formally released details of the Toronto news conference Tuesday evening.

Ambrosie, a 54-year-old Winnipeg native, played nine CFL seasons as an offensive lineman with Calgary, Toronto and Edmonton (1985-93), winning a Grey Cup his final season with the Eskimos.

The six-foot-four, 250-pound Ambrosie was taken in the first round, second overall, by Calgary in the ‘85 CFL draft out of the University of Manitoba. In 1992, he also served with the CFL Players Association.

Ambrosie was a finalist for the CFL commissioner’s position when Orridge was ultimately hired.