Photo: Neil Noonan/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
Mike O’Shea is back for three more years as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after visiting the Toronto Argonauts, who are currently without a head coach following the departure of Ryan Dinwiddie to Ottawa.
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, O’Shea described his dealings with the Boatmen as “very professional” and “terrific,” though he declined to clarify the exact nature of the discussions, terming them simply as “looking at an opportunity.”
The 55-year-old cited his long history with Toronto general manager Mike ‘Pinball’ Clemons as one of the reasons he spoke to the Double Blue. The Toronto Sun reported on Sunday that O’Shea would have held more power and earned more money if he’d elected to join the Argonauts, though O’Shea made no such confirmations.
O’Shea was effusive in his praise for Winnipeg and the Blue Bombers organization, calling it a “good decision” to return. When asked about the personal implications of his decision, the native of North Bay, Ont. offered a rare glimpse into his family life.
“I think we’ve carved out a very nice place here in the community,” he said. “I think our kids really cherish that and respect that. I think the friendships that we’ve made in the community, how important a role the Bombers play in our province, not just our city, is very appealing.”
O’Shea also reminded the media that his three children are now adults, making them free to tackle their own pursuits regardless of where he chooses to work.
There was speculation that the veteran coach might want to move east to be closer to his aging mother, though O’Shea said she doesn’t need his help. She remains in good health, even driving all the way to Winnipeg by herself for a visit this past summer.
The transparency stopped when O’Shea was asked almost anything football-related, however.
He spoke positively about pending free-agent Brady Oliveira and acknowledged that the team wasn’t good enough in 2025, falling short of “extremely high” expectations. Other than that, O’Shea was about as revealing as a Benedictine habit.
According to the bench boss, he and general manager Kyle Walters have barely talked about offseason plans for the team’s roster. He declined to disclose the contract status of any of his assistant coaches, leaving it unclear who will return.
It also remains a mystery why O’Shea signed another a three-year contract considering he’s comfortable working on expiring deals. Why not sign a one-year extension, giving him the chance to work wherever he wants in 2027? After all, O’Shea just used the end of his agreement as a chance to speak to the Argonauts and defended that decision.
“I’m on an expiring contract, I’ve got a few opportunities to explore,” O’Shea said early in Tuesday’s availability. “I should explore them.”
“I don’t go on expiring contracts so that I have the opportunity to look around (at other jobs),” he said moments later. “That’s just the way we do it.”
What does that mean? After covering O’Shea and his team for years, I still have no idea.
When pressed on why he chooses to work under expiring contracts, a team staff member stepped in to cease the line of questioning.
O’Shea then added one last thought on the subject.
“I’ve always bet on myself, but it’s never been for the reason to look around.”
With O’Shea apparently being one to bet on himself, people might speculate that he has aspirations to earn a promotion. When asked if he’d be interested in becoming a general manager, however, his answer seemed negative.
“I’m always interested in growth but I’ve never been interested in power. Power’s not the be-all, end-all. I’ve always wanted to do things as a group, as a team, and figure out how to make decisions together with people that know what they’re doing,” said O’Shea.
“Having absolute control of something has never been anything I’m interested in. Whatever the titles would be would be irrelevant because no matter what we were doing, it’d always be a team effort — a group of people trying to advance our team.”
It’s unclear why O’Shea sees the role of general manager as being akin to some type of authoritative dictator — most general managers describe the job as being highly collaborative and full of delegation — but it doesn’t appear he has plans to take on a general manager position anytime soon.
O’Shea’s contract extension was announced alongside a new three-year deal for Walters, who was also on an expiring term. The coach offered a quick thought on returning with his longtime colleague, alongside whom he’s won two Grey Cups.
“We’ve made it this far,” said O’Shea. “We’ve had this continuity and it’s worked, so why not continue it?”
When asked why he and Walters never speak to the media together, something that’s relatively common in other markets, O’Shea made a joke about there being only one podium in the press room. He then imitated what it would look like for two individuals to try to share the podium, which drew a loud laugh from some people in the room.
It should be noted that the last time O’Shea signed a contract extension in Winnipeg, the podium in the press room was replaced with a table and two chairs. The coach filled one and team president and CEO Wade Miller filled the other, allowing them to simultaneously field questions from the media.
There are plenty of tables and chairs at Princess Auto Stadium and the podium is hardly bolted to the floor. Kudos to O’Shea for getting a laugh with his gag but this was yet another question he simply didn’t answer.
Walters will speak to the media on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to hear his take on the relationship between him and his head coach.
O’Shea was in no laughing mood, however, about the photo a CFL fan took of him at the Toronto airport, which went semi-viral on social media. It’s unclear why a public person would expect privacy in a public space, especially given that his potential interest in the Argonauts had already been reported, but that didn’t stop O’Shea from admonishing the fan who posted the picture.
“There’s no thought when somebody snaps something and posts something. They have no thought for someone else’s sanity. It’s all about themselves and you’d like that to change,” he said. “People don’t understand how much of an issue they can create for their own self-serving purposes. It’s kind of sickening, really.”
It’ll be at least two months before we hear from O’Shea again. By that time, here’s hoping he’s a little more forthcoming about his football team.