Danny McManus, the longtime assistant general manager of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, is staying with the team. General manager Kyle Walters made the announcement during an availability with the media on Wednesday.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats reportedly asked permission to pursue McManus for their vacant general manager position last week, though it’s unclear if a formal interview took place. The job has been vacant since Ted Goveia, a longtime colleague and close personal friend of McManus, passed away in September.
McManus played eight seasons with the Tiger-Cats from 1998 to 2005 and led the club to its most-recent Grey Cup title. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach and scout in Steeltown, though he’s worked in Winnipeg’s personnel department since 2014.
The 60-year-old native of Dania Beach, Fla. threw for 53,239 yards, 259 touchdowns, and 281 interceptions over 17 CFL seasons with Winnipeg, B.C., Edmonton, and Hamilton. He has won five Grey Cups, including two with the Blue Bombers.
“We’re organizationally excited,” said Walters. “It’s a new phase from where we started to where we got to, taking a little step back, so now it’s a new challenge for Mike (O’Shea) and myself and Danny and the crew.”
The Winnipeg 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. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.
The Blue Bombers 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.
