Head Coach

Entering his third year as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Paul LaPolice has already accomplished a lot in his young head coaching career since taking over the reigns in February of 2010.

Last season, LaPolice orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in CFL history by taking a team that finished 4-14 in 2010 and leading them to a first-place East Division finish in 2011 and an appearance in the 99th Grey Cup.  It was the first time Winnipeg finished first in their division since 2001 and was their first East Division championship since 2007.

Despite the woeful record in 2010, the Blue Bombers proved to everyone in the CFL that they were a competitor and couldn’t be taken lightly.  In his first year as Head Coach, LaPolice brought with him an offensive system that finished near the top of every rushing category and boasted the league’s top rusher in Fred Reid (1,396 yards) and the league’s second leading receiver in Terrence Edwards (1,372 yards).  His defence finished atop the league in fewest net yards passing (4,580), average yards passing per game (254.4) and most quarterback sacks (51).  

Before being introduced as the franchise’s 28th head coach, LaPolice spent three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  He joined the Riders in 2007, winning a Grey Cup as the team’s receivers coach before taking over the offensive coordinator position the following year.  In 2009, LaPolice’s offence ranked second in scoring, second in touchdowns scored and third in both rushing and passing touchdowns as the Riders competed for their second Grey Cup championship in three years.

Prior to his arrival in Saskatchewan, LaPolice spent the previous season as the receivers coach with the Toronto Argonauts.  From 2004-2005, he held the same position with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and helped them complete the biggest turnaround in league history going from 1-17 in 2003, to 9-8-1 in 2004.  Under his watch, both Craig Yeast and D.J. Flick finished with over 1,000 yards in both seasons.

In 2002, LaPolice accepted the role as offensive coordinator with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers which he held for two years.  During his first season, he engineered one of the most powerful and explosive offenses in CFL history that set a total of 14 offensive team records.  Milt Stegall also set CFL records for touchdowns in a season and quarterback Khari Jones threw for the third-highest single-season touchdown total ever.  Running back Charles Roberts led the league in both yards from scrimmage (2,102) and rushing yards (1,554) in 2003.

LaPolice began his coaching career as the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers coach with the Toronto Argonauts in 2000.  His offensive schemes with the Argos paved the way for Michael Jenkins to set several Argo single-season rushing records, including most yards, most carries and most 100-yard games, in 2001.

Before entering the CFL coaching ranks, LaPolice was known as a promising young offensive innovator.  He was the offensive coordinator at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for three seasons and won the UCAA Championship in all three years.  In 1999, the school finished with an undefeated record for the first time in 114 years, setting seven school records in the process.

Prior to RPI, LaPolice was the receivers and tight end coach at the University of New Hampshire for three seasons where he was responsible for game planning and film breakdown.

In 1994, LaPolice was the receivers coach for the Western Connecticut State University Colonials where one of his receivers broke the team record for receptions in a season.

LaPolice’s first coaching position came at Maine Maritime University.  As receivers and tight ends coach, he was part of a coaching staff that guided the school to a 9-1 record – the best in team history.  The team won the New England Football Conference Championship and its first ever ECAC Championship.

LaPolice spent four years at Plymouth State College where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education.  He was also a four-year letter-winner and a two-year starter at wide receiver.

LaPolice met his wife, Tina, in Winnipeg.  They have one daughter named Payton and one son named Joshua.

Coaching History