Riders denied permission to interview Bombers’ Paul LaPolice for head coach job

The Saskatchewan Roughriders request to interview Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice for the green and white’s head coach job has been denied.

The @sskroughriders have been denied permission to interview @Wpg_BlueBombers OC Paul Lapolice for vacant head coaching position. Lapolice interviewed for @TorontoArgos job in December. The calendar appears to be the issue, just as with Ottawa’s Jamie Elizondo. #CFL #Riders

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) January 20, 2019

“Normally these types of coaching changes happen earlier, which allows teams to adjust,” Bombers general manager Kyle Walters said last Thursday.

LaPolice, who was a top candidate for the opening, spent three seasons coaching in Regina, two as the Riders’ offensive coordinator (2008 and 2009). Saskatchewan general manager Jeremy O’Day was an all-star calibre offensive lineman for the years LaPolice coached in the Queen City.

LaPolice has directed the league’s highest-scoring offence in Winnipeg the past two seasons, scoring league highs in points during 2017 (554) and 2018 (550). He has been credited for designing a quarterback-friendly offence that prioritizes ball control and balance between the air and ground attacks.

LaPolice would have been a perfect candidate to help spark Saskatchewan’s lethargic offence, but the Riders will have to look elsewhere for a head coach after Chris Jones left for the Cleveland Browns.