Mike O'Shea just completed his eleventh season as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and is currently out of contract through 2026, making him free agent.
55-year-old native of North Bay, Ontario. However, he expressed optimism that a contract extension will be resolved quickly following his team's first-round playoff appearance against the Montreal Alouettes last weekend.
“I expect to have some good conversations (regarding the status of my contract) soon,” O'Shea told the media Monday at Princess Auto Stadium. “Those conversations will be with me and (team president) Wade (Miller) and (general manager) Kyle (Walters).”
This is not the first time O'Shea has allowed his contract to expire, having previously done so in Winnipeg. This is completely atypical for coaches at the professional level, although the Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker has never shied away from running his business in a unique manner.
It's worth noting that Walters, who hired O'Shea after the 2013 season, is also not under contract through 2026. He has not yet spoken to the media this offseason but is expected to do so in the near future.
currently there is head coach vacancy at Ottawa Redblacks and it would be completely understandable if O'Shea was at the top of their wish list. When asked if he ever thought about taking on a new challenge with a new team, he said that he doesn't need much time to “think about other things” but instead prefers to focus on the job at hand.
O'Shea posted a 117-77 regular season record in Winnipeg, making him the franchise leader in wins as a head coach and the seventh-most wins as a head coach in CFL history. He also went 9-7 in the playoffs, including 2-3 in the Gray Cups.
“I've been here 12 years and I haven't left yet. I've always said it's a great community and people who just pass by don't understand it,” O'Shea said.
“People who spend any time here understand what the city and the community are all about. From a sports community perspective, it's amazing – the Bombers fans, especially across the province, are incredible.”
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10–8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as a crossover team before losing in the East semi-finals to the Montreal Alouettes. Franchise quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 13 regular-season games while going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offense, third in net defense and eighth with a minus-eleven turnover margin. The club's leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, the leading receiver was Nick Demski with 1,001 yards, and the leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with an average attendance of 32,343, up 3.7 per cent from the previous year.
