Zach Collaros worked with new Blue Bombers offensive coordinator Tommy Condell during their days together in Hamilton; photos by Cameron Bartlett
It’s a working relationship which first began more than a decade ago — back when Zach Collaros was essentially a Canadian Football newbie fascinated with all the tricks and nuances that make the three-down game unique and immensely challenging for a young quarterback.
And now all these years later Collaros is reuniting with new Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator Tommy Condell, named Monday as the club’s new O boss.
“I’m very excited. Really excited to work with him again and it’s really going to help our unit,” said Collaros Monday afternoon in a chat with bluebombers.com from his offseason base in Ontario while en route to a gym session. “It’s his experience, his ability to communicate — it’s just a huge positive for our unit and for myself personally. Having developed a relationship with him over the years, not just the two years working with him in Hamilton, I can say he’s just a great person.
“I’m really happy this worked out.”
Before we go any further, a point worth making: Collaros insisted this not be presented as a blanket criticism of Jason Hogan, last year’s offensive coordinator who will remain on Mike O’Shea’s staff as the running backs coach — “I really, really like Jason,” he said.
Yet, there were some obvious frustrations from everyone inside the offensive huddle in 2025 and an attack with ranked last in passing, second in rushing and seventh in points scored.
Again, that’s not all on Hogan, just as head coach Mike O’Shea spelled out in this piece posted earlier today:
What Condell brings in comparison to Hogan is decades of experience, both as a position coach and as a coordinator with clubs all over the CFL map. Collaros said his skills as a coordinator and a coach go beyond that.
“He’s got a lot of knowledge, but lots of guys have knowledge,” he said. “What I always appreciated and what really helped me early in my career was Tommy’s ability to communicate that knowledge, whether it was the install of an offensive play, the drop by a quarterback and the footwork of what he could do on a play, to his ability to coach the receivers — he was doing that with us in Hamilton as well as being the coordinator. I can tell you when he was also coaching the receivers — I was a very young player back then — and we’d break the huddle and the receivers would know what was going on from a defensive coverage standpoint before I would.
“He’ll be really helpful for the younger players and myself, too, in just his ability to break down defences and how he interprets what their responsibilities are and what we can anticipate week in and week out. He’s worked in so many systems so whether it’s the run game schematically, the pass game schematically, protections… he’s seen a lot and been involved at a high level for a long time whether that is coordinating or coaching different position groups.”
Tommy Condell
O’Shea said Monday he hoped to add another piece to his coaching staff and that the status of quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson was still to be determined. As of right now, the club does have two running backs coaches listed with Hogan and Andre Bolduc, who coached that group last year.
In the meantime, Collaros said he has already been in contact with Condell and that the offence will be very well prepared in 2026.
“The main piece of the whole thing is he is just a great teacher and communicator. I think he’s going to do wonders. He’s very detail-oriented,” said Collaros. “He’s one of the best, if not the best, teachers I’ve ever been around — in any subject. That matters. In our league, especially because the coaching staffs are so small, you’ve got to be able to delegate responsibilities and then come together at the end of the day and decide what we’re going to do that week.
“There’s so much that goes into (game-planning) I’m looking forward to getting him into a room with the quarterbacks and receivers, specifically, and then having him break stuff down for guys will be great.”
Collaros also refuted the narrative that Condell’s offences de-emphasize the running game, given some of the numbers of his offences running backs over the years.
“The smartest people and the best coordinators know how to use their personnel,” Collaros said. “I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now but look up James Butler’s numbers in Hamilton in 2023. He had a phenomenal year. (Note: Butler rushed for 1,116 yards and seven TDs that season; the second highest total to the 1,213 yards he had this year in B.C. and added a career best 61 receptions for 527 yards and another score).
“Again, as a coordinator — whether it’s in our league, the NFL or the NCAA — they all talk about using what they have. So, if we have three really good tight ends and not a lot at receiver — I’m a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and that’s what they have right now — then we’re going to play 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends and one receiver) and run the ball. It’s just how it all shakes out and it depends on your personnel.
“I’m excited for what Tommy will do to help me and our unit, like I said. I’m already excited about next season.”
