THE CANADIAN PRESS

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Blue Bombers' coaching search is down to a list of three.

"I'm still verifying some references and some associates," Bombers' vice-president and general manager of football operations Joe Mack said in an interview Wednesday with The Canadian Press from Mobile, Ala.

"But I'll have two more repeat interviews I'll have to conduct possibly over the next four or five days."

Mack last worked in the CFL in 1987 as Winnipeg's director of player personnel and rejoined the team last week. He's been in Alabama conducting interviews, networking and scouting players in the lead up to this weekend's Senior Bowl.

His hiring was sparked by Lyle Bauer's resignation as Bombers president/chief executive officer on Dec. 17 and head coach Mike Kelly's dismissal the same night.

Mack is aiming to have a new head coach in place as early as next week, while the president/CEO position will be filled at a later date.

While, he wouldn't talk about specific candidates, the pool of prospects have plenty of CFL experience.

A source told The Canadian Press that Mack interviewed Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice in Mobile on Monday, as well as Calgary offensive co-ordinator George Cortez.

The source added that Mack intends to interview Hamilton defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall face-to-face this weekend.

Marshall is considered the leading candidate and has endorsements from some members of the Bombers' board of directors and players.

He entered the CFL in 1994 and was Winnipeg's defensive co-ordinator from 2006-08. He was passed over for the team's head-coaching vacancies when Doug Berry and Kelly were hired.

"Obviously I'm very interested," Marshall said earlier this week. "I don't worry about what's gone on in the past, I just look at the opportunities in the future."

The team's board will have input into the hiring, but Mack has been assured he has the final say.

The Bombers also received permission to speak to Montreal Alouettes offensive co-ordinator Scott Milanovich and defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke. Milanovich has already interviewed for Toronto's head-coaching vacancy.

Calgary defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones had also been mentioned as a candidate, but he signed a contract extension with the Stampeders on Wednesday.

"The people that I've interviewed in-depth, I think any of them are good candidates to be CFL head coaches," Mack said.

"I feel very fortunate and positive about that."

There's been a shortage of opinions being offered to the former NFL and XFL personnel man by phone, email and in person.

While his hiring process has included interviews, phone calls and reference checks, Mack said the final choice may come down to instinct.

He's well aware Bomber fans, players and executives want to put Kelly's controversial one-year term -- which ended without a playoff birth and a record of 7-11 -- behind them.

"Intellectually you start to filter all that (information) through, but it does come to a gut feeling of how's this person going to act as a head coach in the CFL, in Winnipeg, taking in all the different factors that have happened there," Mack said.

"I'll be working very closely with that person so just trying to get a sense of how compatible we would be is very, very important. And also how they would relate to the fan base of the Bombers."