WINNIPEG 鈥� Mike O鈥橲hea doesn鈥檛 have a pen in hand poised to sign a new contract as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
That doesn鈥檛 mean, though, that a deal isn't around the corner.
At a press conference Thursday to wrap up the team鈥檚 2022 CFL season, O鈥橲hea said he鈥檚 had a couple of conversations with president and chief executive officer Wade Miller.
"My preliminary talk with Wade is just that. I haven鈥檛 even started working on a deal," O'Shea said. "I have a duty to these players right now to make sure, once again, they鈥檙e having the conversations with me that they need to have. Until that process is over I鈥檓 not going to spend my time and waste theirs.鈥�
鈥淵ou have to understand we鈥檙e still only a few days removed from the Grey Cup loss,鈥� he added. 鈥淭he process we鈥檙e in right now is still exit interviews (with players).鈥�
O鈥橲hea鈥檚 three-year contract with the club expires at the end of the year. He was first hired in early December 2013 and has moulded a winning culture.
Players have referred to him as the key piece to the team鈥檚 success, including consecutive Grey Cup championships in 2019 and 2021.
The Bombers posted a franchise-best 15 wins this season (15-3), but lost 24-23 to the underdog Toronto Argonauts in last Sunday鈥檚 title match.
He was asked how much he wants to be back with the team.
鈥淵eah鈥� we鈥檝e had a lot of success here and we鈥檝e got a lot of guys back,鈥� O鈥橲hea said. 鈥淭he group of guys we鈥檝e assembled here is just so easy to be around.
鈥淥nce again, right now the only focus I have is trying to get with these guys and have the conversations that need to be had with the players and make sure that they can get on their way home to their families."
He was asked why he wouldn鈥檛 just come out and say he wants to be back, so as not to fuel speculation.
鈥淵ou can speculate all you want. Absolutely. Do whatever you want,鈥� he said with a laugh.
The Bombers have 25 pending free agents after announcing Thursday that offensive lineman Pat Neufeld has agreed to a one-year contract.
Neufeld, who turns 34 next month, has been with the Bombers for eight of his 11 CFL seasons. The Regina native was a CFL all-star the past two seasons
Before Neufeld鈥檚 contract was announced, O鈥橲hea was asked if his status might influence general manager Kyle Walters鈥� ability to sign players.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to stop a player from signing. Nope,鈥� he said.
The 52-year-old native of North Bay, Ont., who was named coach of the year for the second straight season last week, said he鈥檚 not aware of other teams asking permission from the Bombers to speak to him. The Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes have openings for a head coach.
Some head coaches aspire to add on general manager duties, but O鈥橲hea said that hasn鈥檛 interested him. Walters has been the Bombers鈥� GM since Nov. 26, 2013, about a week before O鈥橲hea was hired.
鈥淚 have never, and I think this is what is easy for me,鈥� O鈥橲hea said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never been in a position and been thinking about another position.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e heard me say it 100 times if I鈥檝e said it once: as a player I never thought about being a coach. I never critiqued coaches; I never did anything like that. I was, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the coach. You tell me what to do. I do it.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty easy for me. I have my role and I solely focus on my role.鈥�
But it鈥檚 not something he would dismiss if the opportunity were presented.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 even give it any thought,鈥� O鈥橲hea said. 鈥淚 think I could be whatever I want to be in a lot of different professions outside of football.鈥�
He couldn鈥檛 put a timeline on the process of deciding his future because he said it takes time to have exit meetings with players, who are still absorbing the Grey Cup loss.
He expects that sting will last a long time for him, too.
鈥淭he truth of that, the answer to that, is forever,鈥� O鈥橲hea said. 鈥淭he group that has been fortunate enough, or been a big part of winning 2019 and 2021, they will remember 2022 probably more vividly than 鈥�19 and 鈥�21.
鈥淭hat is the unfortunate part of sport, is we are stuck with this forever and that鈥檚 what drives guys nuts. So, yeah, it鈥檚 hard to shake that. It will be hard to shake that. But we all know that.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2022.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
