The board, who sprang more leaks than a cheap canoe this week, was poised to offer the position to Brendan Taman but lost their man when they began to insist he hire Mack as his director of player personnel.

Taman flew to Winnipeg to be interviewed on Tuesday and, after a number of sessions, one that included potential team owner David Asper, returned to Regina torn between the job offer he had from the Riders and the one he expected to get from the Bombers.

The search committee, which includes Paul Robson, Joe Poplawski, Gene Dunn and Bill Watchorn, then called Taman to ask him to return to Winnipeg to meet with Mack and discuss an alliance.

Taman balked at this suggestion, insisting if he took the job he'd want autonomy on football decisions such as selecting a head coach and personnel director.

A representative of the selection committee went so far as to ask Taman 'what it would take money-wise to get him to Winnipeg' but the former Bombers GM stiff-armed the question. Taman clearly wasn't comfortable with the volunteer board's insistence on being involved in football decisions and ended discussions with the Bombers at that point. Taman was introduced as the Riders' new GM on Thursday afternoon.

Mack, who will be unveiled sometime today at a press conference, was promoted for the position by Robson, a former Bombers GM and current board member.

There were rumours early in the search process that Robson himself was interested in the position.

Robson hired Mack in the 1980s as director of player personnel and the move paid dividends in the form of a Grey Cup victory in 1984.

Mack spent four years with the Bombers before leaving for the NFL where he held posts with the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins ('89-94; including 1991 Super Bowl champions) Carolina Panthers ('94-97) and the Cleveland Browns as director of football operations ('98-01).

Mack has an extensive background in personnel as well as experience in building franchises from the ground up, working with the expansion Panthers and the second coming of the Browns.

The Bombers' board put themselves in the position to recover from Taman's denial by casting a wide net and identifying a number of top-end candidates.

Both Mack and Calgary Stampeders vice-president of football operations Jim Barker were still in the picture when Taman stepped aside, giving the selection committee several fallback scenarios.

There was some thought on Wednesday that the board might try to combine Mack and Barker as an executive team but that concept lost traction due to the expense.

Taman reportedly accepted a deal in the neighbourhood of $300,000 per year while both Mack and Barker would command similar salaries.

The next hiring to take place for the team is that of a head coach. The group's insistence that Taman take on Mack as a personnel director could foreshadow the 11-person board's expectations concerning their involvement in that hiring. The board has made no secret of its fondness of Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall but it's not known if Mack signed off on such a move prior to his acceptance of the board's offer.

One CFL source told the Free Press Wednesday that Barker's ties to Montreal Alouettes co-ordinator Scott Milanovich would eventually cost him any chance at the Bombers job.

Barker reportedly told the board he would deliver Milanovich as his head coach if given the post and that might have soured the pro-Marshall selection committee on the Stampeders executive.

Barker has played a role in three Grey Cup victories during his coaching and management career in the CFL with the most recent of those a win in 2008.

Mack's hire also puts into question the status of director of player personnel John Murphy and, to a lesser degree, that of director of football operations Ross Hodgkinson.

Murphy is said to have a clause in his contract that states no other person could be hired above him in the football operations chain of command.

Hodgkinson, who stepped forward and accepted the interim VP role following the firing of Mike Kelly and resignation of former CEO Lyle Bauer, was considered a candidate for the position and it would be difficult to imagine the club not showing loyalty to the longtime Bombers employee.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

The

announcement

Today, 10 a.m.,

Blue and Gold Room

Watch it live at winnipegfreepress.com

The man

that got away:

The Bombers board had a crack at former club GM Brendan Taman but he walked away when it appeared he wouldn't have a free hand to run the club but would instead have to deal with the 11-person volunteer board on a consistent basis.

Mack's

immediate

to-do list:

Mack needs to find a head coach and then a legitimate starting quarterback to get the Bombers back on their feet as a competitor in the CFL

Mack

last worked

in CFL

1987

Why Joe Mack?

"The Bombers have a problem with talent, specifically at quarterback. Joe Mack's connections in the U.S. make him a strong choice. He's got better access to those resources. Mack also knows the community and how important this team is to Winnipeg."

-- CFL insider

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 22, 2010 C1