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Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice explains the rationale for relieving Jamie Barresi of his offensive co-ordinator duties Wednesday.

Paul LaPolice stood in front of reporters Wednesday, trying to explain how there is no correlation between Jamie Barresi and a scapegoat.

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Jamie Barresi: an offensive co-ordinator who doesn't call the plays (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

Barresi, now the former Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator, was relieved from his duties late Tuesday, just two days after the lacklustre offensive showing in the Grey Cup. Despite a six-win improvement and a first-place finish in the East division, the Winnipeg offence sputtered along for most of the 2011 season, finishing fifth in points scored and net yards.

The move not to extend Barresi's contract wasn't a hastily-made decision, said LaPolice.

"I'm not placing any blame on anything other than what I evaluate every day over the course of two years and that's what I'm basing it on," he said Wednesday. "It's not based on results. It's not based on after a game. If we take that model off the Grey Cup, then the last four teams that played the B.C. Lions should be fired, the offensive co-ordinators. I try not to do that.

"In my mind, this will make us stronger."

Barresi spent the last two seasons with the Bombers after coming over from Saskatchewan, where he and LaPolice had worked as assistant coaches for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Not only did he join LaPolice in Winnipeg for the 2010 campaign, he also had some input in convincing the Bombers to give quarterback Buck Pierce a look.

The two were together in B.C. for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Barresi couldn't be reached for comment but he was obviously not happy with the decision, telling a local radio station he felt like he was thrown under the bus. "I feel like I'm taking the blame for this," he told CJOB Wednesday morning.

Referencing terms like communication and teaching, LaPolice said Barresi was let go because of his performance in the weekly game-planning sessions with coaches and players. That game plan, the one ultimately signed off on by LaPolice, isn't put into motion by Barresi after kickoff -- a point of contention among some fans in Bomberland.

LaPolice, a former Winnipeg offensive co-ordinator who was run out of town for his struggling offence in 2003, calls the plays for this current Bombers edition, but says that has "no relevance" to this situation and that he has no plans to delegate those responsibilities to the new O.C. ---- if the club decides to hire from outside the organization or promote from within.

"I don't think play calling is our biggest concern," he said.

Bottom line: LaPolice will continue to have a big hand in the offence.

That could make it difficult to land a top-level O.C. candidate, a CFL source said.

"Any experienced guy isn't going to want to go if they don't have input on the plays," the source said, wishing to remain anonymous. "To me, any new person is just going to be a lateral move there."

Hamilton offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones and Saskatchewan's Bobby Dyce are two of the names that have surfaced as potential candidates. Both have ties to the Bombers and LaPolice, but their status is unclear given the current merry-go-round in the CFL coaching ranks.

Internal candidates would be offensive line coach Pat DelMonaco and receivers coach Chris Wiesehan. The two have good relationships with LaPolice and both are familiar with the offensive organizational blueprint LaPolice prefers.

"I'll evaluate that as it goes on but I certainly want the same structure where somebody helps me with the game plan, like what was done last year, and then go from there," the head coach added.

EXTRA POINTS: LaPolice offered extensions to every remaining member of his coaching staff... Defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke is believed to be a hot commodity this off-season, but as of Wednesday evening only the Roughriders have contacted the Bombers for permission to speak with him.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 1, 2011 C1