The Toronto Argonauts have received permission to interview Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea. 3DownNation insider Justin Dunk confirmed this.
O'Shea was the head coach of the Blue Bombers for 12 years and 11 seasons. His regular season record with Winnipeg is 117-77, making him the franchise's leader in wins as a head coach and the seventh most wins head coach in CFL history. The bench boss also posted a 9-7 record in the CFL playoffs, including 2-3 in the Gray Cups with the Blue and Gold.
The 55-year-old has strong ties to the Argos, having spent 12 seasons as a Hall of Fame linebacker and four years as the special teams coordinator at Double Blue. North Bay, Ontario. Native was a teammate and won several Gray Cups as a player with Toronto general manager Mike “Pinball” Clemons.
O'Shea was among John Hodge's 14 Candidates for the Sixers' Vacant Head Coach Position. The position became open when Ryan Dinwiddie accepted a dual role in Ottawa Redblacks as general manager and head coach.
O'Shea's contract with the Blue Bombers officially expires on December 31, 2025, Dunk said. “good talk soon” about the potential contract extension following Winnipeg's loss to Montreal in the East Semi-Finals.
The 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 Division semifinals 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.
Winnipeg ranked fifth in net offense, third in net defense and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. 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.
