A year ago, when he was first hired as Winnipeg’s head coach, Mike O’Shea looked to loyalists he’d previously worked with, and for, to run the Blue Bombers’ defence.
Now, it appears, O’Shea is going in a completely different direction.
Sportsnet has learned the Blue Bombers are not only leaning toward hiring Richie Hall as their defensive coordinator, but that Hall and the organization are negotiating terms of a contract. O’Shea and Hall have little history, but Hall has plenty on his resume to succeed Gary Etcheverry in transforming the Winnipeg defence.
Hall was Saskatchewan’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons, including the 2013 Grey Cup season. He previously was head coach in Edmonton for two seasons. Hall’s coaching career began in 1994, and has primarily been as an assistant and coordinator in Regina.
Prior to the 2014 season, O’Shea had spoken with two of his previous head coaches — Etcheverry and Rich Stubler — about the defensive coordinator job. Another ideal candidate, his good friend Orlondo Steinauer, was and remains under contract with the Tiger-Cats, running Hamilton’s defence.
Stubler went to Calgary and his swarming unit was a big part of the Stampeders’ championship run in 2014.
The Blue Bombers were also in conversation with former B.C. Lions head coach Mike Benevides about the defensive coordinator job. Benevides, as Sportsnet first reported this week, has been offered the same role in Saskatchewan to replace Hall.
