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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS FILES
\nAndrew Harris leaves the Princess Auto Stadium with a box of his old Bombers gear in April 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in green now,\u201d Harris said when asked about Sunday\u2019s annual Prairie showdown. \u201cJust do my best job to help the guys execute on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
The irony of the situation is not lost on Harris, but as he prepares for his first LDC in Riders\u2019 colours, his focus is solely on the task at hand. While the sight of him in a Riders T-shirt might be jarring to some, Harris said the transition from player to coach has been a natural progression.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very similar, as far as the process, and the breakdown of film and the study,\u201d Harris said. \u201cMy biggest thing as a player was trying to understand the defence better than it knows itself, and understanding how guys attack you, trying to find little advantages and little keys to utilize getting the most out of every run play, every pass play, and just making an impact every chance you get. Now, as a coach, just passing that process down, passing on the years of knowledge that I\u2019ve obtained and grown into.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt\u2019s been seamless, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris said there are certainly moments where he feels the itch, wishing he was the guy out there to make the plays and difference in a game. Harris officially retired ahead of the 2024 CFL season, signing a one-day contract with Winnipeg to end his decorated career as a Bomber.<\/p>\n
Harris played 15 seasons in the CFL, with six of those years spent with the Blue and Gold.<\/p>\n
In Winnipeg, he led the CFL in rushing three times and earned the honour of Most Outstanding Canadian in 2017. He ranks sixth all-time among Bomber running backs with 5,402 rushing yards and is the league\u2019s all-time leader in rushing yards among Canadians, with 10,380.<\/p>\n
For years, Harris was the running back fans in Riderville loved to hate. His on-field success with the Bombers was a constant source of frustration, seemingly reaching new levels with each successful Bombers season and Grey Cup victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was probably public enemy No. 1 when I was playing,\u201d Harris said with a smile, before adding that the local reception has been overwhelmingly positive. \u201cThe keyboard warriors are out there, for sure, but it\u2019s been all love. It\u2019s really similar to Winnipeg in a lot of ways, and the family is close, with grandmas coming over all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have dreams and goals of moving forward, whether that\u2019s staying here or going to the States or potentially becoming a head coach or GM.\u201d \u2013 Andrew Harris<\/p>\n
As running backs coach, the main focus for Harris has been to mentor the next class of great CFL tail backs. He works closely with Riders running back A.J. Ouellette, who currently ranks third in the CFL, with 713 rushing yards in 10 games.<\/p>\n
Harris and Ouellette first met as teammates with the Toronto Argonauts, winning a Grey Cup together in 2022 as a formidable one-two punch in the Argos\u2019 backfield. Toronto defeated the Bombers in the championship game, ruining Winnipeg\u2019s bid for a rare three-peat, with Harris simultaneously exacting his revenge following an unceremonious exit.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a relationship with (Ouellette), I can talk with him a different way and be like, \u2018You got 98 yards, how come you couldn\u2019t get this?\u2019\u201d Harris said, speaking rhetorically. \u201cI push them hard. It\u2019s been a great intro to coaching, working with someone you have a good relationship with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris confirmed he logs more working hours as a coach than he ever did as a player. He said he usually gets home around dinner time on a regular day, but that game-planning can often keep him working a 15- or 16-hour shift.<\/p>\n
The 38-year-old father of three didn\u2019t want to get ahead of himself when asked about his future goals in football, but he has thought about it. While he\u2019s fully focused on his current role in Saskatchewan, he\u2019s open to seeing where this thing takes him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have dreams and goals of moving forward, whether that\u2019s staying here or going to the States or potentially becoming a head coach or GM,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just taking it one year at a time, one game at a time and just learning as much as I possibly can and just taking it all in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking over for Harris in Winnipeg was Brady Oliveira, another homegrown talent. Harris treated Oliveira like a little brother while with the Bombers and the two remain tight to this day.<\/p>\n
Harris\u2019s eyes widen when talking about Oliveira\u2019s rise in recent years, including being the CFL\u2019s reigning Most Outstanding Player.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s doing all the right things and he\u2019s playing out of this world right now,\u201d Harris said. \u201cThere are a lot of things where it\u2019s like I\u2019m watching my own film. It\u2019s humbling to be able to look at the keys and things that you pass down and watching guys use them and be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS FILES
As a former Bomber, Harris brings a unique perspective to the Riders\u2019 coaching staff. Given his intimate knowledge of the Bombers and some of the systems they like to run, he could have an impact on Sunday that goes beyond Saskatchewan\u2019s run game.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t \u201cThe biggest thing is just understanding how guys play and just the mentality of what that team\u2019s about,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI have some insight, and passing that down, little tips and reminders and things that they can utilize, hopefully we can get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n With three games against Winnipeg still to be played this year, Harris was asked if, like former Bomber teammate Adam Bighill and the Calgary Stampeders, he thought his insider knowledge could lead to a series sweep. Harris hesitated a second, but ended up taking the bait.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Let the games begin.<\/p>\n Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Jeff Hamilton Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University\u2019s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\nAndrew Harris speaks to the media at the Princess Auto Stadium in April 2024. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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