Blue Bombers Head Coach Mike O’Shea named Coach of the Year finalist

WINNIPEG, MB., November 25, 2021 – The Canadian Football League today announced the Coach of the Year finalists and Winnipeg Blue Bombers Head Coach Mike O’Shea was selected to represent the West Division.

The nomination is the first for O’Shea in his seven-year head coaching career, all with the Blue Bombers.

Ryan Dinwiddie of the Toronto Argonauts is the East Division representative and the winner – awarded the Annis Stukus Trophy – will be announced at the CFL Awards ceremony during Grey Cup week in Hamilton.

The Blue Bombers finished with an 11-3 record in 2021 – best in the CFL – as the club finished first in its division for the first time since 2011 and will play host to the Western Final on December 5th at IG Field for the first time since 1972.

Named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2017 after a stellar playing career that saw him be a part of three Grey Cup championship teams, O’Shea adopted many of the same principles that made him successful as a player into the coaching ranks.

The Bombers finished first in points scored (25.8 points per game) allowed the fewest points defensively (12.9) and were the least penalized team in the CFL.

Under O’Shea’s guidance, the Bombers have just completed their fifth consecutive campaign of double-digit wins and have an overall record of 67-55, including 55-31 over the last five seasons. O’Shea’s 67 wins ranks him third all-time in Blue Bombers history behind only Bud Grant (102) and Cal Murphy (86).