Mike O'Shea returned for another three years as 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.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, O'Shea described his relationship with the Boatmen as “very professional” and “amazing”, although he declined to elaborate on the precise nature of the discussions, calling them simply “seeking an opportunity”.
The 55-year-old cited his long history of working with Toronto general manager Mike “Pinball” Clemons as one of the reasons he approached Double Blue. Toronto Sun reported on Sunday that O'Shea would have had more power and made more money if he had decided to join the Argonauts, although O'Shea made no such confirmation.
O'Shea was effusive in his praise for Winnipeg and the Blue Bombers organization, calling the return “a good decision.” When asked about the personal implications of his decision by the North Bay, Ont., native. gave a rare glimpse into his family life.
“I think we’ve created a very good place here in the community,” he said. “I think our kids really appreciate and respect that. I think the friendships we've made in the community and 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, giving them the opportunity to pursue their own interests no matter where he decides to work.
There was speculation that the veteran coach might want to move east to be closer to his aging mother, although O'Shea said she didn't need his help. She is still in good health and even traveled to Winnipeg alone last summer.
However, the transparency stopped when O'Shea was asked about almost everything related to football.
He spoke favorably of pending free agent Brady Oliveira and admitted the team wasn't good enough in 2025 and didn't live up to “extremely high” expectations. Otherwise O'Shea was as revealing as the Benedictine habit.
The bench boss said he and general manager Kyle Walters had little discussion about the team's offseason plans. He declined to disclose the contract status of any of his assistant coaches, leaving it unclear who would return.
It also remains a mystery why O'Shea signed another three-year deal, given that he is comfortable working on expiring contracts. Why not sign a one-year extension that would give him the flexibility to work anywhere in 2027? After all, O'Shea had just used the end of his agreement as a chance to talk to the Argonauts and defended the decision.
“I'm out of contract and have a few options to explore,” O'Shea said early Tuesday morning. “I should study them.”
“I'm not renewing expiring contracts so I can have a chance to look around (for other jobs),” he said moments later. “That's what we do.”
What does it mean? After years of covering O'Shea and his team, I still have no idea.
When asked why he chose to work on expiring contracts, a team employee intervened and stopped the questioning.
O'Shea then added another thought on the matter.
“I always bet on myself, but there was never a reason to look around.”
Since O'Shea is clearly betting on himself, people might assume he is seeking promotion. However, when asked if he would be interested in becoming a general manager, his answer was no.
“I've always been interested in growth, but I've never been interested in power. Power is not the be-all and end-all. I've always wanted to act as a group, as a team, and figure out how to make decisions with people who know what they're doing,” O'Shea said.
“I have never been interested in absolute control over anything. Whatever the titles were, it wouldn't matter because no matter what we did, it would always be a team effort – a group of people trying to push our team.”
It's unclear why O'Shea views the general manager role as something of an authoritarian dictator—most general managers describe the job as highly collaborative and full of delegation—but he doesn't appear to have plans to take on the general manager position anytime soon.
O'Shea's contract extension was announced at the same time Walters' new three-year contract was also due to expire. The coach shared his thoughts about returning with his long-time colleague, with whom he won two Gray Cups.
“We've come this far,” O'Shea said. “We had that continuity and it worked, so why not continue it?”
When asked why he and Walters never speak to the media together, which is quite common in other markets, O'Shea joked that there was only one podium in the press room. He then depicted what it would look like if two people tried to share the podium, which caused loud laughter 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 out one and team president and CEO Wade Miller filled out the other, allowing them to simultaneously answer questions from the media.
Princess Auto Stadium is full of tables and chairs, and the podium is barely bolted to the floor. Kudos to O'Shea for making me laugh with his joke, but this was another question he simply didn't answer.
Walters will speak to the media on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to hear his thoughts on the relationship between him and his head coach.
However, O'Shea was in no mood to laugh at a photo a CFL fan took of him at the Toronto airport that went semi-viral on social media. It's unclear why a public figure would expect privacy in a public space, especially since his potential interest in the Argonauts has already been reported, but that didn't stop O'Shea from chastising the fan who posted the photo.
“When someone takes a photo and posts something, no one is thinking. They're not thinking about anyone else's sanity. It's all about them, and you'd like to see that change,” he said. “People don't realize how much trouble they can create for their own selfish ends. It's really disgusting.”
It will be at least two months before we hear from O'Shea again. By then we hope he will be more open about his football team.
