The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have requested permission to speak to Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea and assistant general manager Danny McManus regarding potential jobs with the team, according to a report from TSN’s Dave Naylor.
The news comes after O’Shea was granted permission and interviewed in person for the Toronto Argonauts’ vacant head coaching position earlier this week. The 55-year-old was photographed on Wednesday boarding a flight out of Toronto for Winnipeg.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have an existing head coach in Scott Milanovich, who led the team to a first-place finish in the East Division this season. However, the team is looking for a new general manager following the tragic passing of Ted Goveia this year. Both the men requested worked closely with Goveia during his time with the Bombers, where he served as assistant general manager.
O’Shea has ties to Hamilton, as the North Bay, Ont., native was drafted by the Ticats in 1993 and spent four seasons with the team across two different stops. He has also worked closely with Milanovich, winning a Grey Cup as his special teams coordinator with the Toronto Argonauts in 2012.
McManus is a legend in his own right in Hamilton, quarterbacking the team for eight seasons between 1998 and 2005, a tenure which includes the franchise’s last Grey Cup victory. He later spent six seasons as an assistant coach and later scout for the Ticats, before moving to Winnipeg in 2014.
O’Shea has been the Blue Bombers’ head coach for 12 years and 11 seasons. He has a 117-77 regular-season record with Winnipeg, making him the franchise leader in wins as a head coach and the seventh-winningest head coach in CFL history. The bench boss has also gone 9-7 in the CFL playoffs, including 2-3 in Grey Cups, while with the Blue and Gold.
The two-time champion’s contract with the Blue Bombers officially expires on December 31, 2025. He expected to have “good conversations shortly” about a potential contract extension following Winnipeg’s East Semi-Final loss to Montreal.
The Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Franchise quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.
Winnipeg ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.
