CALGARY – Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters says he and Mike O’Shea have a verbal agreement to extend his head-coaching contract, but not a signed one.

O’Shea has navigated the Blue Bombers to Sunday’s Grey Cup game in Calgary against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The 49-year-old from North Bay, Ont., is in the final season of a three-year contract extension signed in 2016.

“Mike and I … I’ve said at various points this year that Mike has no interest in talking about that sort of stuff during the year,” Walters said Wednesday during Blue Bomber practice.

“I’ve looked Mike in eye and told him I want him to be the head coach next year. He’s looked me in the eye and told me he wants to be back. There’s a whole lot of things that go between … getting a signed contract for him.

“We’re not going to worry about that. What we talked about is a good start. Him and I will sit down, win or lose, and try and get something sorted out.”

O’Shea is in his sixth season as the Bombers’ head coach. The team has reached the playoffs the last four seasons and posted a 44-28 record during that span.

A three-time Grey Cup winner as a player with the Toronto Argonauts, Sunday marks his debut as a head coach in the game.

(Canadian Press)

 

17 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

The guy has done a helluva job this season. 

When you listen to all the 1 on 1 interviews throughout the year, and especially now, in Grey Cup week, you realize how the players feel about their leader. They believe, they trust, and they have been instilled with a sense of importance and respect. This is no accident. They love their Coach.

Jefferson, Bighill, Nichols, Andrews, Bailey, Wolitarsky, Demski, Medlock. The list goes on and on. They want to win this for the man, and the city he represents, because that's what O’Shea believes in. 
Fully. Completely.

And this is no accident. What we were told right from the start is that they were building this team with character..with men of character. 
And this is where we are now. The Grey Cup.

I hope the boys win the Cup, for their Coach , for their city, and for themselves.

First couple of years i was not sold on MOS at all. But now despite being a bit stubborn( what coach isn't) and maybe too loyal it is hard to miss the respect MOS has and the great job he has done this year. Win or lose the Grey Cup we need to keep MOS here.

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

That's a strange comment as it's up to O'Shea if he's available or not. Maybe a more accurate statement is that he's not interested. 

It’s called tampering.

I was sold on Osh pretty much from Day 1. You can just tell he's a man. He knows how **** needs to be. Once Walters was able to turn over the roster completely, yiu started to see the results. But as far as Osh as a coach... If you were looking honestly, you knew from Day 1.

this is another one of those times that fall under 'winning fixes everything', lol.,.. Osh is a great 'players coach' but not a great football coach... how quickly we forgot all of the dumb coaching moves he has made, especially in big games... 2016 playoffs? 2017 playoffs? field goal and fake punt anyone?  and there have been many 'in game' gaffs along the way... his use of challenges, or not using them... you know them, you've witnesses them... and lets stop and think for just a moment, what would all have been saying  about not pulling Streveler if ZC came out in the next game and on the 1st play he suffers another concussion... which was a very real possibility...  or he just failed miserably... slightly less probable but possible, nobody could know for sure... there would have been a mob in the street with pitch forks and torches looking for him...

maybe being a good leader of men is enough as he does seem to be that, but he's not a great football mind... like I said, winning fixes everything...

47 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I was sold on Osh pretty much from Day 1. You can just tell he's a man. He knows how **** needs to be. Once Walters was able to turn over the roster completely, yiu started to see the results. But as far as Osh as a coach... If you were looking honestly, you knew from Day 1.

I was a big fan at first but that soured as he started doing some bizarre stuff and I began to question his intelligence. I said he was too green and that he had a lot to learn and it might take 10 years for him to get the needed experience. Well, it took 6 years and here he is in the championship game. Well done, MOS. I was a little off.

40 minutes ago, 66 Chevelle said:

.. Osh is a great 'players coach' but not a great football coach...

That's a little harsh. He has improved slow and steady. 

1 minute ago, J5V said:

That's a little harsh. He has improved slow and steady. 

do you consider him a 'great' football coach?

it just sound harsh which doesn't make it any less true... 

I should add, I don't think he is necessarily a bad coach, just not a great one...

Just now, 66 Chevelle said:

do you consider him a 'great' football coach?

it just sound harsh which doesn't make it any less true... 

It all depends on your definition of "great".

Just now, J5V said:

It all depends on your definition of "great".

just checked with the judges... they are willing accept almost any definition of the word 'great' as long as it is used to describe 'better than good to very good'...  

Just now, 66 Chevelle said:

just checked with the judges... they are willing accept almost any definition of the word 'great' as long as it is used to describe 'better than good to very good'...  

What I mean is, he is not likely to ever be a genius Xs and Os guy but he has improved and he may be a great player's coach that understands nuances of football and the men that play the game possibly better than any other coach in the league. 

For example, there was a moment this year, after a game with Ssk, when O'Shea had to be restrained from going after Craig Dickenson when one of the Riders concussed Chad Rempel. That moment sticks out for me because in an instant there was no doubt in any Bomber players' minds that O'Shea had the back of his players. That kind of thing is what can meld a group of individuals into a team. There were other things that happened too but that one really stuck out for me. I'd go through a brick wall for a coach that I knew had my back like that.

If Oshea can bring us a cup this year with the fact we lost our primary quarterback, our backup got surpassed by a later pickup, we've had a revolving door in our secondary (that is now kicking ass), and all the players want to play for us, sign him an extension.

Hell... 2 wins knocking off the top dogs and we are on the right track. 

2 hours ago, 66 Chevelle said:

do you consider him a 'great' football coach?

it just sound harsh which doesn't make it any less true... 

He got us to the Grey Cup. How many didn't? 

3 hours ago, 66 Chevelle said:

I should add, I don't think he is necessarily a bad coach, just not a great one...

Can I answer this tomorrow?

I'm not trying to convince any of you to change your mind on how you feel about Osh, I'm just stating how I feel about the deal... I stated publicly on this forum before that last two playoff games that I wanted Osh, Lapo, and Hall, all 3, gone for next year... 2 playoff wins haven't changed my mind... if nothing else, I'm consistent, lol...

I did qualify that statement by saying that if I had to keep one and only one of them it would be Osh... but again, that is only if I had too...

for me, once again it's just my opinion, a 'great' head coach wouldn't have this inconsistency that we've experience in performance, both offense and defense, that we regularly have and have had... something doesn't translate from the chalk board to the playing field... those inconsistencies cost us 1st place in the West this year and home field advantage... did it work out anyway?  it did... but it's not the hill I want to climb year in and year out...

you won't win them all, but I'm not happy with giving away games either... Osh is a 'good' coach, a great player's coach, and seems to be a real good guy...  but he isn't a 'great' coach... a great coach also has the ability to influence and lead his coordinators as well... that to me is where he fails... coordinator failure is on the head coach and when you see it happening regularly it signals a problem in my eyes...

8 hours ago, 66 Chevelle said:

I should add, I don't think he is necessarily a bad coach, just not a great one...

Today will confirm his status as either a good coach or another also-ran.

IMO, Walters is the main reason we're going to play in the cup this year. Collaros has been THE difference maker on offence and for the first time in recent memory, we upgraded our team throughout the year instead of standing pat. I'm specifically pointing to the changes in the DB's from the mid point of the season until the end of the season. Without those changes we are watching instead of playing in the cup.

Sooooo any doubts on trying to extend O'Shea now?  

 

Just now, Brandon said:

Sooooo any doubts on trying to extend O'Shea now?  

Nope. Not from this poster.

When do we start the fund to build a statue of MOS/Walters and Miller?

Just now, rebusrankin said:

When do we start the fund to build a statue of MOS/Walters and Miller?

Canadian Mafia statue at gate 4.

Just now, rebusrankin said:

When do we start the fund to build a statue of MOS/Walters and Miller?

I admit I've come full circle with those three. I loved them, hated them, and loved them again. What a roller coaster ride. LOL!

8 hours ago, JCon said:

Canadian Mafia statue at gate 4.

Objectors - under gate 4...