Menu
December 8, 2022

“He’s our leader, our captain”

Mike O’Shea’s three-year contract extension to remain the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hardly sent shockwaves across the Canadian Football League.

Nor would it surprise anyone who has watched the Blue Bombers morph into a perennial contender that the reaction to the news from those in the locker room is so universal in its praise.

Yet, that also says everything about the man, his leadership and his importance to the franchise.

“He’s our leader, our captain,” Willie Jefferson told bluebombers.com after the announcement was made official Thursday morning. “He’s a really good person and a great coach.”

O’Shea ranks third on the Blue Bombers all-time coaching wins list at 82, behind only Bud Grant (102) and Cal Murphy (86) – both of whom have statues outside IG Field – and has helped guide the team to three consecutive Grey Cup appearances, with back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2021.

O’Shea and Blue Bombers President & CEO Wade Miller, FYI, are to meet with the media Friday morning.

“This is massive news,” said Pat Neufeld. “It’s his stability, his presence, his incredible football knowledge, his demeanour and his direction that is just so huge for the organization. It’s going to be a huge component in us staying on this track we’re on right now and with guys wanting to come back.

“Part of what has made him successful, I think, is taking what he saw during his illustrious career and going through every imaginable football situation, seeing what worked and didn’t work, and then putting that all together.

“I’ve said this all the time,” added Neufeld, “but everything he does is about the players. He truly does care about us as people and wants to get the most of out of us by making sure we’re as mentally and physically prepared as possible.

“You can’t not respect that. You can’t not want to play for a coach who truly does make it about you.”

The reigning two-time winner of the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL’s Coach of the Year is also the league’s current longest-serving head coach after being hired by the Blue Bombers in December of 2013.

And while the turnaround wasn’t instant – the Blue Bombers went 7-11 and 5-13 in his first two seasons – the club has since posted six straight double-digit win campaigns, including a franchise record 15-victory season in 2022.

“What makes him such a good coach? I mean, that’s a long conversation. The quick points are he’s a guy that knows how important how culture is, who knows how important the little details are. He’s a guy who played the game and understands it from a player’s point of view.” – Adam Bighill

“He’s had success as a player and as a coach. He knows what wins, that’s the bottom line,” Bighill added. “Obviously he and his staff have done a great job of finding people that know how to win and a lot of that has to do with the players they choose to bring in. For lack of a better term, he just has a winning formula. It didn’t happen overnight, but it’s from all the experiences he’s had in his life and the people he’s surrounded himself with that he is where he is now. It’s not by accident.”

O’Shea carved out a hall-of-fame career as a linebacker during his playing days and brings that same work ethic to the coaching gig while allowing players to set the culture in the locker room.

There are more layers to the man that aren’t always visible to the fan base, from the emotion he can show when watching players celebrate to his genuine care for those in the building.

“He really cares about the players, his staff, his community and the fans. When you have a coach who leads so positively, you want to give him everything you’ve got.” – Willie Jefferson

“Before a big game, especially a home game, he’s always giving us a message about honouring our teammates and giving the fans energy,” added Jefferson. “You can see him smiling in the warm-up and how amped he is. We want to see him like that.”

A story further to the human side, from Jefferson. Back in September the Blue Bombers were returning from a game in Hamilton and Jefferson’s wife Holy was about to give birth to their second daughter.

As the charter flight touched down in Winnipeg, O’Shea went on the flight intercom to tell players to let Jefferson off the plane first as scrambled to get to the hospital, where a staff member was there to greet him.

A simple act, as it is often said, can be so powerful.

“He’s a dad. He’s had all those experiences,” said Jefferson. “So, for him to see through his eyes someone else experience those things is heart-touching. And for him helping me to get off the plane to rush to go see Holly have my daughter… that’s been him, too. He’s got kids. His kids play sports, he’s got daughters and so all the things players are experiencing now he’s been through. It’s like he’s the father or the grandfather to all of us in the way he wants to lend a hand.”