MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes announced Thursday that defensive coordinator Kahlil Carter is stepping down for personal reasons, effective immediately.

Carter will remain with the team in a scouting position while Rich Stubler will assume the duties of defensive coordinator.

“I took this difficult decision because, at this point, the most important thing for me is to be able to spend more time with my family”, said Carter. “I’m happy to remain a part of the Alouettes as a scout, a position that will give me more flexibility in terms of time management.”

Carter joined the Alouettes’ coaching staff in January after spending the last three seasons as the defensive backs coach of the Calgary Stampeders.

“We understand Kahlil’s situation. We offered him an alternative position in our organization to accommodate him, and we’re glad that this allows him to remain with the team”, said Head Coach Mike Sherman. “Rich has been a member of the staff since the beginning of the year, so he will be able to continue building the defence we want to put in place. He has over 30 seasons of experience in the CFL and is a five-time Grey Cup champion; I have no doubt that he will be successful in this role.”

Stubler became a member of the Alouettes in January as a special advisor to the defensive coordinator. He began his career in 1983 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he spent seven years as a defensive coordinator. Stubler also coached with the Toronto Argonauts, the Edmonton Eskimos, the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders. During the 2008 season, he was head coach in Toronto. Known to be a defensive specialist, he held defensive coordinator positions during most of his time in the CFL.