Pierce promoted to Bombers’ QB coach

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This article was published 03/02/2016 (3818 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Buck Pierce has a new gig. It’s at the same office at the same address with the same organization, but the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback will now be overseeing the position as an assistant coach.

The Bombers made official Wednesday the news that Pierce, who spent the last two years coaching the team’s running backs, will now be the quarterback coach, working alongside Drew Willy and offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice.

And it makes perfect sense, seeing as Pierce played the position with both the B.C. Lions and Bombers over nine seasons in the Canadian Football League.

“It’ll be good,” said Pierce at a press conference on Wednesday. “When I retired, this is the point I wanted to get to: back in the quarterback room. But the last two years have been good for me and I’ve learned a lot.”

It might seem like a slam dunk that Pierce would be the QB coach, given that’s the position he played and knows best. But coaches, particularly those breaking in to the profession, also like to step outside of their comfort zone by tutoring other positions. It is, in a sense, professional development.

“It’s a learning process for me,” said Pierce. “Being at the quarterback position as a player is different as a coach. Being put in a role not completely removed from that position but in the next room over where I’m involved in protections, routes, releases, the run game… those are all things that I’ve learned that are going to serve me well down the road.”

Pierce and LaPolice will be tasked with upping the production from the Bombers’ anemic offence and not only keeping Drew Willy upright, but squeezing the most out of his game.

“With any coach it’s your job to put the player in a situation to be successful,” said Pierce. “I have a great relationship with Coach LaPolice and have the ability to work with him… he was very relatable as a coach to a player. At the end of the day my job is to help whoever is playing the position to be successful. For Drew, he does a lot of really good things and he could be one of the best quarterbacks in the league in my eyes. It’s part of my job to help get him there.”

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait