Khari Jones

[Austin85]

What do you all think of Khari Jones as OC?

[blue_gold_84]

I wouldn't be opposed to him getting interviewed.

[Jesse]

A big ol' meh.

[Pete]

Other candidates  might be:
Jarious Jackson
Lapolice
Kevin Bourgoin
All including Khari seem to fit in with O'Sheas style
If its Bougoin might open up a path for Bighill as coach / emergency replacement

[dd]

I would bring him in for an interview for sure, and would have to be considered a top candidate- has experience with the franchise/had an outstanding playing career here, knows offenses, knows the Qb position intimately. I think he would be an upgrade to our offense.

[theaardvark]

Not the worst choice, there are a fair number of decent choices out there.  it will come down to who Osh feels most comfortable with...  a lot of ex HC's on the list..

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Here are John Hodge's top 8 contenders.

Kevin Bourgoin

The longtime NCAA assistant has been with the Blue Bombers for the past seven years, spending the last four as receivers coach. He's helped players like Kenny Lawler, Dalton Schoen, and Nic Demski flourish into CFL stars and oversaw an outstanding rookie season from Ontaria Wilson in 2024. Bourgoin knows Winnipeg's offensive system and clearly has the trust of head coach Mike O'Shea.

O'Shea promoted Jordan Younger and Mike Miller to the roles of defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator, respectively, this past off-season, illustrating how he likes to hire from within. If he chooses to do the same this time around, Bourgoin, who was an offensive coordinator during his long tenure at the University of Maine, could be considered the front-runner to replace Pierce.

Pete Costanza

All the native of New Jersey does is win. He's won six Grey Cups, including four over the past six seasons, one of which came with the Blue Bombers in 2021. He's been the passing game coordinator with the Toronto Argonauts for the past three seasons, helping the team enjoy success regardless of who is at quarterback — Chad Kelly, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Nick Arbuckle, or Cameron Dukes.

Costanza has already coached in Winnipeg's offensive system, previously serving as the team's running backs coach, which could provide a seamless transition as the Blue Bombers look to qualify for the first home Grey Cup in franchise history.

Markus Howell

The 49-year-old native of Winnipeg, Man. has four years of experience as a pass-game coordinator and two years of experience as a run-game coordinator. He also took on extra responsibilities after Jarious Jackson was promoted to interim head coach with the Elks this past season, working with the quarterbacks and leading some practice sessions.

Howell was a receiver and return specialist for six seasons with the Blue Bombers and started his coaching career with the team, serving as receivers coach under O'Shea for two years. He unsuccessfully interviewed for Winnipeg's offensive coordinator position following the 2015 season, though he has since gained valuable experience in stints with Saskatchewan, B.C., Toronto, and Edmonton.

Mike Lionello

The 34-year-old native of Vancouver, B.C. has spent the past three seasons as the receivers coach in Montreal, helping players like Cole Spieker, Charleston Rambo, and Tyson Philpot become household names. He also called offensive plays for the Alouettes for a stint in 2022 after Khari Jones was fired as the team's head coach.

Lionello is still relatively young but he's paid his dues, previously serving as an assistant with Simon Fraser University, the B.C. Lions, and Toronto Argonauts. O'Shea has tremendous respect for Montreal head coach Jason Maas, so it doesn't seem farfetched to think he could try to hire one of his protégés.

Jarious Jackson

The 47-year-old native of Tupelo, Miss. has coached in the CFL every year since he retired, including stints as an offensive coordinator in B.C., Toronto, and Edmonton. The Elks had an excellent attack this past season despite missing the playoffs, finishing first in offensive points per game, second in net offence, first in average yards per rush, and second in average yards per play.

Jackson and O'Shea have never coached together, but they overlapped with the Toronto Argonauts in 2012 when the former was in the final year of his playing career at quarterback and the latter was the club's special teams coordinator.


Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
Khari Jones

The native of Hammond, Ind. remains a legend in Winnipeg as he spent five years rewriting the team's record book at quarterback, winning M.O.P. in 2001. He has 14 years of coaching experience, including a four-year run as head coach with the Alouettes and 10 years as an offensive coordinator in Hamilton, B.C., Montreal, and Ottawa. He also remains close with team president and CEO Wade Miller.

"Being able to work with O'Shea would be pretty cool," Jones told 3DownNation on Wednesday. "I've admired him for a bunch of years." The 53-year-old is currently an assistant professor at Linfield University in Oregon and cited his current teaching experience as an asset that will help him become a better football coach in the future.

Paul LaPolice

The 54-year-old native of Nashua, N.H. has already had three separate stints with the Blue Bombers, so a fourth doesn't seem impossible. He was popular in Winnipeg during his three-year stint as head coach, which ended when he became the scapegoat for incompetent general manager Joe Mack, and won a Grey Cup as the team's offensive coordinator in 2019.

LaPolice has previously indicated that he's content with his position as an analyst and broadcaster at TSN, though it remains unclear if he would consider a return to coaching in Winnipeg. He did not respond to a request for comment from 3DownNation on Wednesday.

Mike Miller

The 54-year-old native of Pittsburgh, Pa. has spent the past three seasons as the quarterbacks coach in Toronto, where he's helped launch Chad Kelly to CFL stardom and reignite the career of Grey Cup MVP Nick Arbuckle. He was previously the offensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals and Montreal Alouettes, which is a strong resumé.

O'Shea likes people with experience and Miller has plenty of it, including 13 years in the NFL and seven in the NCAA. The only downside of his potential hiring would be that he has the same first and last name as Winnipeg's special teams coordinator, which could prove confusing for all involved.

[Ducky]

It would be interesting to see a top U Sports guy like Michael Faulds get an interview. Former star Canadian College QB, offensive coordinator advanced to HC. Just won the Vanier Cup.

[TecnoGenius]

A big ol' meh.

Exactly what I was going to say!  Khari = meh.  After Lapo, he's the only retread I wouldn't be totally against, though.

Khari also is not a run-first OC/HC, so he would have the same problem as Maksymic.

[Waffler]

Interesting that Lapo has no comment. A media guy would be quick to say he's happy where he is you'd think.
Bourgoin and Costanza seem most likely to me if it's not Lapo. Just saying that based on what I think MOS would do.

[dd]

Jackson seems to have the most experience and success. Who knew Edmonton was first in points scored and 2nd in net offense, first in average yards per rush and second in average yards per play, with Edmonton's lineup?!? Obviously utilizes the run well and scores, and we struggled in scoring. Seriously, I ll take that any Day!! Hope he comes here

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Hoping someone from the Bombers provides an update on the OC search and indicates who all they're considering.  Apparently Macsymic was already interviewed and chose Edmonton instead......Doh!

[ModAdmin]

Hoping someone from the Bombers provides an update on the OC search and indicates who all they're considering.  Apparently Macsymic was already interviewed and chose Edmonton instead......Doh!

Maybe he was interviewed and the Bombers decided he was not the right person for us.

[TecnoGenius]

Can losing the HC cause some players to bail?  What if some guys don't want to be bothered learning a completely alien system?  Basically all of our guys have only known one system while here: the Lapo-morphs-to-Buck system.  And it really was a gradual morph: '21 O looked a lot like the '19 O.

Although I guess if the guys weren't buying into the system anymore, Buck leaving could be a bonus incentive to stay here.  It all depends on how they feel/felt, and on that I have no clue or even guess.

One thing's for sure: unless we get Lapo back, there's going to be a heck of a lot of learning and studying in TC and PS, and we could have another slow (read: bad) weeks 1 thru 6...

[Blue In BC]

Other candidates  might be:
Jarious Jackson
Lapolice
Kevin Bourgoin
All including Khari seem to fit in with O'Sheas style
If its Bougoin might open up a path for Bighill as coach / emergency replacement

Bougoin knows the offence and players. You'd think he'd have the edge but we'll see. Jackson might be a good choice.

Either way, we'll be down 1 coach on offence and need to add a +1.

Bighill as a coach / emergency replacement is not a bad idea other than fitting him into the coaches salary cap. If Hall departs, then perhaps there is a role with the gap created.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Bougoin knows the offence and players. You'd think he'd have the edge but we'll see. Jackson might be a good choice.

Either way, we'll be down 1 coach on offence and need to add a +1.

Bighill as a coach / emergency replacement is not a bad idea other than fitting him into the coaches salary cap. If Hall departs, then perhaps there is a role with the gap created.

If Hall departs they would be wise to replace him with a future choice at DC, as it might be a few short years before Younger follows Buck's lead and starts applying for HC jobs as well. If Bighill is interested in coaching, this could be a very easy way for him to side-step years of toil most coaches have to go through to elevate their careers in the professional ranks, within 2-3 years he could be the new DC.

[Blue In BC]

If Hall departs they would be wise to replace him with a future choice at DC, as it might be a few short years before Younger follows Buck's lead and starts applying for HC jobs as well. If Bighill is interested in coaching, this could be a very easy way for him to side-step years of toil most coaches have to go through to elevate their careers in the professional ranks, within 2-3 years he could be the new DC.

It's not clear whether Hall will consider retirement. If not I'd expect him back. However the idea of Bighill taking on a coaching role might still exists if he's interested.

Bighill says he want's to continue playing in 2025 and coaching may not be part of his current plan.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It's not clear whether Hall will consider retirement. If not I'd expect him back. However the idea of Bighill taking on a coaching role might still exists if he's interested.

Bighill says he want's to continue playing in 2025 and coaching may not be part of his current plan.

Richie Hall is interviewing for the DC job in Ottawa, so this probably isn't his last year coaching.  As for Bighill, it appears Tony Jones may have stolen his job.

[Blueforlife]

If Hall departs they would be wise to replace him with a future choice at DC, as it might be a few short years before Younger follows Buck's lead and starts applying for HC jobs as well. If Bighill is interested in coaching, this could be a very easy way for him to side-step years of toil most coaches have to go through to elevate their careers in the professional ranks, within 2-3 years he could be the new DC.

Keep Younger as he is good and developing.  He learned from Hall.  Hopefully both stay but I could see Hall leaving for more money.

We have had one of the best runs at defense in Bomber history.  This is on the back of Hall's brilliance/experience, Youngers ability to change and continously improve / innovate and experiment.  Oh yeah and like Ritchie said "the players play", they have contributed a wee bit to our D (backed my great scouting and roster management).  GO BLUE.

Conisitency gets you cups.  Patience pays off.

[TecnoGenius]

Richie Hall is interviewing for the DC job in Ottawa, so this probably isn't his last year coaching.  As for Bighill, it appears Tony Jones may have stolen his job.

Maybe, maybe not.  If Kyrie isn't re-upped, Jones could slide to WILL and Biggie could QB-the-D again.  That might be an effective combo.

Also, I've never seen any indication Biggie wants to coach.  I think Zach's idea of CFLPA prez is just as likely.  Or he switches from making sacks to making stacks full time, with his finance gig.

[DM83]

The guy at defensive coordinator is a passive guy.  No pressure in rushing a jiurneyman QB just handed the cup to Toronto.  You have to admit no pressure on a guy who hasn't done well against zone defenses was a sin.

However we need an offensive coordinator.  Lapo fits the bill.  How long is O'Shea signed for?
The last hurrah of the southern Ontario boys seems a possibility after the teams last hurrah in 2025.

[TecnoGenius]

The guy at defensive coordinator is a passive guy.  No pressure in rushing a jiurneyman QB just handed the cup to Toronto.  You have to admit no pressure on a guy who hasn't done well against zone defenses was a sin.

Our DL simply wasn't good enough all season to base our D on pressure.  We chose coverage instead, and probably wisely.  I think Younger did the best he could with what he had.

Add to that the fact that TOR had probably the league-best OL and it was a pretty safe bet our front 4 wasn't going to get through very often.  The fact our DL out-performed and got some pressure/sacks doesn't make this any less true.

If we obtain a superstar DE or DT in FA, maybe we can get back to '21 pressure packages.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Our DL simply wasn't good enough all season to base our D on pressure.  We chose coverage instead, and probably wisely.  I think Younger did the best he could with what he had.

Add to that the fact that TOR had probably the league-best OL and it was a pretty safe bet our front 4 wasn't going to get through very often.  The fact our DL out-performed and got some pressure/sacks doesn't make this any less true.

If we obtain a superstar DE or DT in FA, maybe we can get back to '21 pressure packages.

I hope they move back in that direction of a strong front 4, don't know if they played a 3 front out of necessity or by choice but lining up in that formation the majority of downs sucks when the opposition is expecting it. Funny they never experimented with a 3-4, but perhaps they never had enough LB's healthy at one time to make that formation work. Cole, Jones, Ayers and one of Bighill or Wilson would have been fun to watch.

[blue_gold_84]

I hope they move back in that direction of a strong front 4, don't know if they played a 3 front out of necessity...

They let Jeffcoat walk without an adequate replacement. I'd put money on it being by necessity.

[Jesse]

They let Jeffcoat walk without an adequate replacement. I'd put money on it being by necessity.

Younger has said as much; it's not a secret.

[dd]

They let Jeffcoat walk without an adequate replacement. I'd put money on it being by necessity.

Agreed. Our 'other' DE was totally invisible in most games. Jeffcoat was a game changer. You can't tell me if we had him in our lineup, we don't win the GC this year, Collaros injury and all. Arbuckle would have been dead like Dane Evans was when we played the Ticats. Our pass rush was non existent and we were relying on Arbuckle to screwup and not complete passes, which he didn't. He made us look foolish.

[theaardvark]

Agreed. Our 'other' DE was totally invisible in most games. Jeffcoat was a game changer. You can't tell me if we had him in our lineup, we don't win the GC this year, Collaros injury and all. Arbuckle would have been dead like Dane Evans was when we played the Ticats. Our pass rush was non existent and we were relying on Arbuckle to screwup and not complete passes, which he didn't. He made us look foolish.

We all loved Jeffcoat.  But you can't tell me that if we had signed him, he'd have been healthy for the GC.

Our DE's stats were affected by JY's unique schemes, its tough the get sacks when you are rushing 3...

[dd]

We all loved Jeffcoat.  But you can't tell me that if we had signed him, he'd have been healthy for the GC.

Our DE's stats were affected by JY's unique schemes, its tough the get sacks when you are rushing 3...

But as others have pointed out, the reason we rushed only 3 is our 4 man rush wasn't getting the job done, so we dropped another player into coverage hoping our secondary could make up for our weak DL. It did most games, and even in the GC, its the offensive 6 pixes that were the daggers to the heart.

[Bomber Diehard]

Just a side-note it was 68 years ago today when the plane went down carrying the all star players coming home from all star game in Vancouver.
The blue bombers lost the All-Star Cal Jones.
Ken Ploen Gordie Rowland and Bud Grant caught an earlier flight.

[TecnoGenius]

We all loved Jeffcoat.  But you can't tell me that if we had signed him, he'd have been healthy for the GC.

Our DE's stats were affected by JY's unique schemes, its tough the get sacks when you are rushing 3...

The best way to approach Jeffcoat in '24 would have been to hire him just for the playoff run!  Then he'd be guaranteed healthy!  Assuming he stayed in shape...

That said, Garbutt had his best game on the other side and made a big impact.  Same with Willie.  It just wasn't enough.

I wouldn't blame the DEs for that game as much as I would the DTs.  Invisible mostly.  Garbutt may turn into Okpa or Roh level which is pretty good, especially with Willie.  What we need is some stud DTs... some guys that can actually get to the QB once a game, or collapse pockets faster.  If we still had '19 Stove, we likely fare better.

[blue_gold_84]

We all loved Jeffcoat.  But you can't tell me that if we had signed him, he'd have been healthy for the GC.

I'd have taken Jeffcoat at 70% healthy over no Jeffcoat.

The D-line was better with him on it.

[Horseman]

I had a dream last night that Khari was our OC, time will tell if I am clairvoyant or not.

[BLUEBOMBER]

I think the BB would most likely stay in house and promote Kevin Bourgoin... LaPo will stick with a secure job at TSN, Khari probably want to give up his full time job, Jackson will probably hold out for a HC job in Calgary if Dickenson decides to stick with his GM duties only.

[TecnoGenius]

I think the BB would most likely stay in house and promote Kevin Bourgoin... LaPo will stick with a secure job at TSN, Khari probably want to give up his full time job, Jackson will probably hold out for a HC job in Calgary if Dickenson decides to stick with his GM duties only.

1. I think you're probably right.  Hopefully in-house guys have been groomed well! I think OC might be harder for this than DC.

2. Lapo: not so secure if Bell is shopping out TSN!

3. If Dickenson was going to do just GM, they wouldn't have ditched Killam.  Nope, I think it's Dickenson's ship to crash for 2-3 more years.

[BLUEBOMBER]

Good point..  I don't think Dickenson can last another bad season though... sooner or later, someone will notice when they are done shoveling the snow off their cows and horses...

[dd]

Agree. If Stamps with Adams at Qb aren't winning and in playoff contention , Dickie will be shown the door. That said, I think Adams does well with the Stamps and the west will be super tough in 2025.

[Waffler]

I think the BB would most likely stay in house and promote Kevin Bourgoin...

I originally thought this too but the longer it takes the more I think it is maybe someone else. Why wouldn't it be a done deal by now?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I originally thought this too but the longer it takes the more I think it is maybe someone else. Why wouldn't it be a done deal by now?

Different approach, other teams were promoting their coaching searches publicly, the Bombers seem to be guarding it like a secret. Wouldn't hurt O'shea to allow a little more transparency to seep into the organization, bored fans want to know.

[dd]

I am hoping the Bombers are recruiting some fresh blood, someone who can create a game plan that integrates and uses our strong run game in the most important game of the year and win that game for us. My fear is promoting from within, you are going to get the same mindset from our past OC who was 0-3 in his last 3 Grey Cups.

[TecnoGenius]

I originally thought this too but the longer it takes the more I think it is maybe someone else. Why wouldn't it be a done deal by now?

There's a chance the Buck move caught them completely off-guard.  There was the possibility Buck was being groomed for HC when MOS retires...

[TecnoGenius]

I am hoping the Bombers are recruiting some fresh blood, someone who can create a game plan that integrates and uses our strong run game in the most important game of the year and win that game for us. My fear is promoting from within, you are going to get the same mindset from our past OC who was 0-3 in his last 3 Grey Cups.

There's a paucity of run-first OCs in the league right now.  The wrong choice could see us lose our identity and turn into BC or something.

The run-firstiest OCs (current and ex) are clearly Lapo, Buck, maybe McAdoo(!), and whoever OCd for CGY all those years with Cornish and Messam (who?).

If we go out-of-house, a) it'll cost a ton more vs in-house, and b) we could have a weak season start as the only-known-one-system players get used to the new paradigm.

[Waffler]

Collaros is on record as hating to play for McAdoo. He felt the offense handcuffed him in Sask.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Collaros is on record as hating to play for McAdoo. He felt the offense handcuffed him in Sask.

He'd probably hate playing for LaPo in that case.  Zach prefers to bomb it downfield and score quickly but in some games that method just doesn't work, have to be able to switch gears and move the ball methodically when needed.

[blue_gold_84]

He'd probably hate playing for LaPo in that case.  Zach prefers to bomb it downfield and score quickly but in some games that method just doesn't work, have to be able to switch gears and move the ball methodically when needed.

Seemed to work out just fine in 2019.

Collaros' "preference" probably isn't the issue here. While he can be a gunslinger, he doesn't do that exclusively. The team's offense under Pierce had been pretty well balanced with the exception of last season (when looking at Collaros' stat line).

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Seemed to work out just fine in 2019.

Zach only played 4 games with LaPo in 2019, 3 of them in the playoffs.

[blue_gold_84]

Zach only played 4 games with LaPo in 2019, 3 of them in the playoffs.

And your point is...?

Funny how you ignored the rest of my reply.