Big Blue shuffle coaching deck

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This article was published 08/01/2024 (731 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For a team that prides itself on continuity, there have certainly been a lot of changes in recent days for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Over the past week or so, the Bombers have more than tinkered with their coaching staff. They bid adieu to one long-time coach and demoted another even more experienced play caller, while also asking a very recently retired player to dive headfirst into a role he doesn’t even know if he’ll be good at.

On Monday, the Bombers formally introduced Jordan Younger as the club’s new defensive co-ordinator, replacing Richie Hall. They also announced that Mike Miller, fresh off retirement, will take over for Paul Boudreau as the special-teams co-ordinator.

“JY’s been on this trajectory for quite some time, even as far back as his playing career. He’s just really intelligent and creative,” head coach Mike O’Shea said of Younger, while on a break from league meetings in Nashville this week. “So, these conversations go back, and you just know there’s going to come a time where if you don’t make a move, you’re going to lose him, and I didn’t want to get to that point.”

O’Shea would have been reminded of that last month. The 45-year-old Younger was reported to be part of offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce’s bid to become the next head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Pierce didn’t end up getting the Riders job, though, and it’s still unclear whether he turned it down or wasn’t offered the position. Had he turned it down, it would make sense that a promotion for Younger to become the Bombers’ DC could have been part of that decision.

O’Shea didn’t outright say that was the case, but he also seemed to fumble his answer when asked if the two were connected.

“I wouldn’t… I don’t know that I would put those two events as attached, in the Venn diagram sort of way,” O’Shea said. “I certainly didn’t consider it that way, probably. But bluntly, you need to keep both of those guys.” Hall has spent the last 40 years in the CFL, beginning his playing career in 1983 before transitioning to a coaching role with Saskatchewan in 1994. The 63-year-old has been with the Bombers since 2015, and over the last few seasons has been the leader of one of the league’s top defences.

Not wanting to lose him, O’Shea offered Hall a demotion from his current role, which he gracefully accepted. While mentoring defensive players and discussing strategy with Pierce were some of the duties O’Shea talked about, Hall still doesn’t have a formal title.

“That many years is such a precious resource. You need to find a way to keep it,” O’Shea said. “We’re grateful that Richie even, put in a tough spot like this, has decided to stay with our team.”

“Anytime you’re dealing with a staff change, there’s no such thing as good timing.”– Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea

Younger moves into the DC role after spending the last six years as the team’s defensive backs coach. He is a former defensive back himself, playing eight seasons between Toronto and Edmonton. O’Shea confirmed they will not be hiring a new defensive backs coach, with someone internal, whether it be Younger or another coach on staff, handling those duties.

As for Miller, he wasn’t offered the special-teams job until last week, around the time the Bombers decided not to extend the contract of Boudreau. Boudreau had been with the Bombers since 2016 and until last season, had one of the league’s strongest units.

The timing of the decision to move on from Boudreau raises questions on how long O’Shea took to make his decision. It’s not often a team will wait until January to make a call, as teams around the league have already formalized their coaching staffs, making it nearly impossible for Boudreau to find another similar job in the CFL for this year.

“Anytime you’re dealing with a staff change, there’s no such thing as good timing,” O’Shea said. “The bad part of this business is having to order things a certain way and the day I was absolutely sure I was going to make this move was the day I called (Boudreau).”

Miller is considered to be among, if not the best special teams player in CFL history. He’s currently the all-time leader in special teams tackles, with 226.

The 34-year-old suffered a season-ending neck injury at the start of training camp last year and after exhausting all medical opinions, was forced to retire after no one would give him clearance to play. He knows he’s green for the job but is willing to put in the work to transition to a role he never could have imagined a year ago.

“I don’t really know if I’m going to be good at it or not,” Miller said. “I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years, so I think I can bring that to the coaching side of things. It’s going to be kind of trial by fire. I did get a little taste of it last year and I think it’s something I’m going to enjoy. I get to stay in the football world.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton