Getting to know Paul Boudreau

Paul Boudreau knows about moving from place to place, about packing and unpacking boxes. It’s the life he has lived for as long as he can remember, after all, and it’s led him to where he is today as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“Any time you get to do something you love it makes life a little more enjoyable,” began Boudreau, the Bombers’ special teams coordinator, in a recent chat with bluebombers.com. “I’ve had coaching jobs where it wasn’t that much fun to go to work and it just makes things a lot harder. Enjoying the people you work with and enjoying the guys makes things a lot easier.

“Of course, winning helps, too.”

The 2020 Canadian Football League season would be Boudreau’s fifth with the Bombers after 16 years at the NCAA level with Northeastern, Cincinnati, Brown, Widener, Central Connecticut State, Fitchburg State and also a four-year run with the St. Louis Rams.

The nomadic life precedes his own professional career. Boudreau’s father – also Paul – was a long-time coach who worked with 14 teams, including eight different National Football League organizations and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1983-86.

In fact, you have to rewind as far back as the Boudreau’s stay in the Alberta capital to appreciate how long ago the coaching seed was planted in his brain and his heart.

“When we lived in Edmonton, (former Bombers assistant coach) Casey Creehan’s dad (Denny) was on the staff with my dad,” said Boudreau, who turns 42 next month. ”We both knew as little kids we were going to coach football and lo and behold, how many decades later we’re still coaching.

“Coaching isn’t for everybody… the hours aren’t great and you end up moving quite a bit, sometimes to different countries. It’s a little tough on the families sometimes. But it’s part of the deal and you know that getting into it. As a coach’s kid, it forces you to be a little bit more outgoing because you never know, you could be in a different city next year and trying to make new friends.

“I mean, I was in 13 different schools in two different countries by the time I was 12.”

A proud product of the U.S. northeast – he was born in Boston, but essentially grew up in New Orleans while his father worked for the Saints – Boudreau, when he isn’t in Bomber colours, is often spotted wearing a Red Sox or Bruins hat.

“I grew up a Braves fan and a Red Sox fan and I’m a huge Bruins fan,” he said. “I’m not really a big NBA guy, although I do follow the Celtics… and I hate the Patriots.”

A Boston guy who hates the Patriots?

“I hate a lot of the teams my dad got fired from,” said Boudreau with a laugh. “And if you coach long enough you’re going to get fired from a lot of them.”

As an aside, with all the moving around the Boudreau’s have assembled such an enviable collection of sports memorabilia they could stock their own shop.

Among the items are autographed Barry Sanders cleats – who rushed for over 1,500 yards for three straight years when Boudreau’s dad was with the Detroit Lions – as well as autographed helmets, footballs and jerseys from Thurman Thomas, Deion Sanders, Eric Dickerson and Brett Favre. He also has autographed hockey sticks from the Oilers during his days in Edmonton in the 80s, as well as a Bobby Orr autographed puck his wife got him as a gift last Christmas.

Boudreau’s connection with the CFL was rekindled a few years ago when he served as a training camp guest coach with the Bombers during former offensive line coach Bob Wylie’s second stint with the club from 2014-16.

In 2016, he interviewed with Mike O’Shea while watching a practice at the Senior Bowl before becoming a member of the current staff. He and his wife April have a three-year-old son, Austin, and spend all but a few winter months living in Winnipeg.

“Moving around a lot gets harder later in coaching,” Boudreau explained. “Earlier you’re all gung-ho and you don’t really care… you’re just looking for the next big job. But as you get older and you have a family it’s important that you find a good fit not just for you, but for your family because if you’re miserable then they’re going to be miserable and vice-versa. That’s part of being here… it’s a good environment. The players’ families and the coaches’ families, you see them at practice all the time with their kids running around.

“We’ve got a tight-knit group here and there aren’t a lot of egos. Everybody is well grounded. It’s probably been said a million times by the players and the coaches – there’s a family vibe here and when new guys come in they feel it. It’s just a fun place to be.

“Now, the winters do suck, though.”