WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have named Toronto special teams co-ordinator Mike O’Shea as their new head coach.
O’Shea, who spent 16 seasons as a player in the CFL at middle linebacker, succeeds Tim Burke who was sacked after Winnipeg tied its worst record ever in the 18-game CFL this season at 3-15.
"Mike knows what it takes to win in this league, and he has done that as both a player and as a coach," GM Kyle Walters said in a statement. "He is highly respected by his peers, and someone we feel is the right fit for what we are trying to build here. We’re thrilled to have Coach O’Shea on board."
The 43-year-old O’Shea, who becomes Winnipeg’s 30th head coach, is the second Argo assistant to leave in the off-season. Defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones was named head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos last week.
"This is truly an honour to take over as head coach for such a historic franchise and one of the landmarks of Canadian football," O’Shea said in a statement. "The organization, our fans, the city and province deserve a winner, and I assure you we will do everything in our power to make all of those people proud."
The Bombers have now pretty well cleaned house after the Joe Mack as GM era, replacing their president, general manager and coach.
Tuesday they also named former quarterback Danny McManus and Ted Goveia as new assistant GMs to join general manager Kyle Walters in rebuilding the team.
Now they just have to find a starting quarterback.
O’Shea takes the reins of the Blue Bombers with 20 years of CFL experience and after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Argonauts. The four-time Grey Cup Champion won three as a player (1996, 1997 and 2004) and his first title as a coach in 2012, leading a stalwart special teams unit for the Argos.
O’Shea, a native of North Bay, Ont., played from 1993 to 2008 for Hamilton and Toronto before joining the Argos’ coaching staff.
O’Shea won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian award in 1999 and has four Grey Cup rings — three as a player (1996, 1997 and 2004) and one as an assistant coach (2012).
