Bombers looking for a new direction: LaPolice

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This article was published 29/11/2011 (5229 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A day after firing his offensive co-ordinator, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice told reporters the club was simply looking for a new direction.

Where that new direction is headed is a little grey right now.

“I felt at that position we needed to go in another direction, to help our structure in how we do things here,” LaPolice said Wednesday, less than 24 hours after letting Jamie Barresi go. “Jamie is a very good man, he’s a good guy, I appreciate all he’s done for this club, but I just felt we will be a stronger unit going forward with a change there at that spot.”

Barresi spent the last two seasons working with Bombers after coming over from the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he had worked alongside LaPolice as assistant coaches for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Barresi also has experience with the B.C. Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Winnipeg’s offence struggled for most of the 2011 season, ranking fifth in the CFL this season in net yards and points scored. Those struggles were never more evident than in the Grey Cup, when the offence could only manage a handful of first downs and three field goals through three quarters of play.

The on-field results weren’t why Barresi was fired, LaPolice insisted.

“The Grey Cup had no bearing on my decision,” the head coach said.

“The reason I did it quickly was so that Jamie would know what to do next, so he could get (another) job and move on. That’s the fairest thing I could do for the guy.”

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The coach said the move to fire Barresi was based on the process of how the Bombers offence was put together each week and how Barresi worked within the current coaching structure. LaPolice is unsure where the club will turn to find a new offensive co-ordinator, indicating a promotion to an existing staff member could be a possibility.

Either way, though, it doesn’t sound like LaPolice will be relinquishing the play-calling duties.

“I don’t think play calling is our biggest concern,” he said.

Names that have surfaced as possible candidates for the O.C. position are Hamilton’s Khari Jones and Saskatchewan’s Bobby Dyce. Both have ties to LaPolice and the Bombers.

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