Bombers franchise seeking stability now faces prospect of losing GM

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/09/2015 (3843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stability has been a buzz-word around Blue Bombers management the last two seasons and something the franchise is desperately seeking. But at 4-8 and with a GM being chased by others, things are far from settled for this organization.

There is mounting pressure to win and now the spectre of an ensuing shakeup, if GM Kyle Walters decides to get serious about the entreaties for his services being made by the University of Guelph.

If Walters elects to move back to his alma mater and accept the security and more relaxed pace of a CIS athletic director, all bets are off in Bomberland. Turmoil — not stablity — will be the word of the day.

Walters has not made his intentions known; the club issued a swift “no comment” on the subject over the weekend and Guelph has yet to offer him the position.

But former University of Winnipeg women’s basketball coach Tom Kendall is retiring from the Guelph AD job in December and there is a push among powerful Guelph alumni to bring Walters home to the university where he previously played and coached.

CIS AD: Job for life

Life in the CFL can be tenuous and a CIS athletic director gig is pretty much a job for life. Solid pay, job security and lots of perks for a guy with a young family. Walters can’t just ignore such an offer. He’ll have to consider it.

This isn’t a push for the Bombers to get rid of Walters. I may be in the minority in Winnipeg but I’m still of the opinion he’s on the right track. He was given a four-year contract for a reason. Rebuilding the Bombers was a tall task when he took over and one-and-a-half seasons isn’t enough time. If Walters wants to stay, he should be allowed to proceed with his plan.

CEO Wade Miller will have to get a feel for where this is heading and do so quickly. If he’s going to have to replace Walters, he’ll want to be in position to talk to potential GM candidates as early as Grey Cup week.

There are a number of interesting candidates out there including former GMs with Grey Cup titles on their resumes such as Eric Tillman and Brendan Taman. Both have attributes which make them attractive.

There are also solid up and comers such as Calgary’s Mike Petrie and Hamilton’s Shawn Burke.

But the best player personnel man in the CFL today is John Murphy and if Miller is put in a postion where he has to replace Walters, he should do what it takes to get Murphy.

Some will argue Murphy doesn’t have the polish to be a GM. But the Bombers shouldn’t be interested in good hair and an expensive suit. Murphy has the best track record of any personnel man in the CFL over the last few five or so years. Send him to charm school and then let him do his thing.

One year left on head coach contract

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea has one more year left on his contract after this season. If Walters stays, the next discussion for him and Miller is whether to give their coach an extension. It’s difficult to argue for a coach with an 11-19 mark, but O’Shea has six more games to prove progress is being made.

(ImageTag)Again, I’m likely in the minority among Winnipeggers right now but O’Shea has the makings of being a good head coach. He’s still a little green and he’s learning. Certainly there have been mistakes but I believe O’Shea is going to be a winning head coach in the CFL. If not in Winnipeg, then somewhere else.

A new GM may want to retain O’Shea. Or he may want to go in a new direction.

The big decisions for the Bombers this week are whether to go with the rosary beads or the votive candles against the Stampeders on Friday. Neither will work.

There are far larger decisions looming and they will impact the club’s long-term future. Maybe it’s the status quo and Walters and O’Shea will be at the controls for next season. Or perhaps all that lust for change will be satisfied and once again it will be back to Square 1 in Bomberland.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @garylawless