LaPo won’t cry in his pillow

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This article was published 03/03/2012 (5287 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Somehow, some way Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice will regroup and get over the worst loss of his professional career.

“Yeah, it was a huge blow,” he joked after watching B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono take home the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL’s top coach of the 2011 season at a Toronto luncheon Friday.

The exaggerated disappointment on LaPolice’s end was intentional, naturally, as Buono was the heavy favourite. He earned 45 of 56 first-place votes in balloting conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada, beating out LaPolice and Edmonton coach Kavis Reed for the award.

The future hall of famer led the Leos to an 11-7 record and a Grey Cup victory after losing six of the first seven games to start the season.

“Obviously, it’s an honour to be included in a group with Wally and Kavis,” LaPolice said, returning to a more familiar seriousness. “I’m fortunate to be in this group because there are a lot of great coaches in this league.”

Getting on the short list was prize enough, he said, but the unassuming Winnipeg coach understates his accomplishments in 2011.

Moving through a laughable 4-14 campaign in 2010, LaPolice guided the Blue and Gold to a 10-8 regular-season record, first place in the East Division and a Grey Cup appearance.

His reward: an approaching season of uncertainty.

As of this writing, LaPolice is working in the final year of his contract, the football club isn’t sure where it will be playing home games, and the East Division has gotten a whole lot better.

While attending Cal Murphy’s funeral in Regina last week, a longtime former CFL coach came up to LaPolice and wished him luck in the coach-of-the-year voting.

LaPolice downplayed his nomination, as he has since landing on the ballot, but then this ex-coach said something that struck a chord.

He told LaPolice he should have won the award for the 4-14 year — just for the way he managed to keep the Winnipeg team from unravelling.

Patience is the foundation of LaPolice’s coaching style.

Buono just won an award because of it.

“It’s not about selling hope, it’s about educating — the staff, the fans, and especially the players — that when you continue to do things the right way, the wins will consistently come,” he said.

“In a results business, that’s sometimes hard to do. You try to preach patience and you hope people judge you based on facts — that’s what I always look for.”

The coach-of-the-year award wasn’t the only thing LaPolice discussed before grading Canadian football prospects at the 2012 CFL evaluation camp Friday.

 

CONTRACT EXTENSION: General manager Joe Mack, freshly extended by the Bombers board of directors earlier this winter, has yet to lock up the head coach in a new deal.

Other than saying talks are ongoing, LaPolice wouldn’t indicate if a new contract would be in place before the season.

PASS INTERFERENCE: A drastic change to one of the more inconsistent calls made by CFL officials could be coming in 2013.

The rules committee, which LaPolice sits on, is working on a framework that would see coaches able to throw the challenge flag on pass-interference calls.

The change has been tabled until after the 2012 season, however. The committee wants to look at the number of pass-interference calls in past years and the effect they’ve had on games before moving to a resolution.

KELLY BUTLER DONE: The import offensive lineman announced his retirement on a Winnipeg radio station Friday, but LaPolice wouldn’t confirm or comment on the situation. Butler, 29, served as a backup last season and is believed to be taking an administrative position at CDI College in Winnipeg.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca