North Bay's Mike O'Shea — recently named the CFL's top coach for the second straight season — has agreed to a three-year contract extension to continue as head coach of the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, according to CFL insider Farhan Lalji.
See: Back to back Grey Cups for North Bay's O'Shea
O'Shea, 52, first signed with Winnipeg in December 2013 and has instilled a winning culture based on accountability while gradually building the Blue Bombers into a force in the West Division. On the heels of two straight Grey Cup championships, this season's franchise-record 15 wins lost its shine thanks to a 24-23 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in the Nov. 20 Grey Cup in Regina that prevented a rare three-peat.
North Bay's Ryan Hunter was a member of the winning Argos squad.
See related: Is North Bay torn over who to cheer for in the Grey Cup?
O'Shea took some time to reflect and lead exit interviews with players in the days following the loss but with news of the extension, it seems the straight-talking coach had little desire for a career change. No details of the extension have been released.
"In that locker room, as a group of guys with leaders, the group character is in a pretty good place," O'Shea said of his players in the days following the Grey Cup setback.
"It's disappointment, lots of guys feeling sick to their stomach... what helps is a lot of guys spending time with teammates."
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) November 25, 2022
» https://t.co/WuNhZgKLIg#ForTheW pic.twitter.com/A7FmZkjSCy
Since 2014, O'Shea has guided the Blue Bombers to an active streak of six-straight winning seasons, two consecutive West Division titles, and the two Grey Cups. O'Shea's career record with the team stands at 82-58.
O'Shea was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame, the Guelph Gryphons Sports Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a player.
In August, the football field at North Bay's Steve Omischl Sports Complex was renamed Mike O'Shea Field in honour of the hometown hero's contributions to the sport and role as an ambassador of the city.
See: Gridiron great's name now adorns local field
"I do appreciate all your support, not just today but throughout the years," O'Shea told the crowd gathered at the ceremony. "I'd also like to thank all the hardworking people of North Bay who set such a shining example to me from growing up. You're fantastic. We live in a wonderful city and we should be thankful for that."
A star for Widdifield Secondary and the University of Guelph, O'Shea won three Grey Cups as a linebacker with the Toronto Argonauts (1996, 1997, 2004) and another as the Argos' special teams coordinator in 2012. O’Shea played in the CFL for 16 seasons over two stints each with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Argos and was named the CFL's Rookie of the Year in 1993 and the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian in 1999. O’Shea also served as a Canadian Football League Players' Association representative during his playing career and upon his retirement, accepted a leadership position with the CFLPA.
As head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, O'Shea is the reigning back-to-back CFL Coach of the Year. He led the team to Grey Cup wins in 2019 and 2021 (the Grey Cup was not contested in 2020), giving him a combined career championship total of six.
