Bombers load up front office with AGMs Danny McManus and Ted Goveia; now, who’s their HC?

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have dramatically changed their front office since the end of the season, and they've brought in some big names. The team made former assistant general manager Kyle Walters the full GM role last week, removing his acting tag, and on Monday, they brought in two new assistant general managers; Danny McManus and Ted Goveia. McManus and Goveia may not initially strike many as personnel guys, as they're famous for quarterbacking and coaching careers respectively, but both have amassed significant experience in CFL front offices over the last few years, and they could be a substantial asset for the Bombers. There's plenty of work ahead for the front office, though. Not only do they have to deal with a roster that went a league-worst 3-15 this year and has a CFL-high 23 pending free agents, they also have to decide who to hire as their new head coach—and the call they make there could affect their offseason strategy.

McManus and Goveia should help make the turnaround easier. McManus was named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011 for his 17-year CFL career as a quarterback, but he's recently been impressing in the front office ranks, spending the last three years as Hamilton's head U.S. scout (and two years before that as a regional scout). Meanwhile, Goveia is well-known in Canadian football circles for his time as a CIS coach, which included a stint as UBC's head coach from 2006-2009, plus long runs as a recruitment coordinator and assistant coach at McMaster and Mount Allison. He worked in the CJFL before that after a CIS playing career, and he's recently been in the Toronto Argonauts' front office, working as first an assistant coach, then most recently as the team's director of player personnel. Goveia has been named Winnipeg's assistant GM/director of player personnel, while McManus is assistant GM/director of U.S. scouting, so Goveia's role will likely involve more focus on Canadian players (including the annual CFL draft) and the day-to-day roster, with McManus overseeing the organization's efforts to find new talent south of the border. Both seem well-qualified for their new roles, and they'll have help from other front office guys, including Drew Morris, who the team also announced has been promoted to National Scout. Morris is a former NFL scout with Atlanta who's impressed in the Bombers' organization so far. There's going to be a lot of roster turnover in Winnipeg this offseason, and that can be tough with a rookie general manager like Walters, but he'll at least have plenty of experience to lean on.

While bringing in front office types is important, though, it's tough to build much of a roster before you know who's going to be coaching it and what sorts of schemes and strategies they want to implement. The leading candidate at the moment might be Saskatchewan offensive coordinator (and former Hamilton HC) George Cortez; Gary Lawless reported Monday that Cortez has received a second interview. Plenty of other names have been mentioned, though, including Roughriders' quarterbacks coach and former Bombers' QB Khari Jones. We'll see what the Bombers do at coach, but the pressure is on; the Ottawa expansion draft's coming up on December 16, and then after that, they'll have to try and extend their own players while preparing to make moves in free agency. Ottawa's also looking for a head coach, which may affect the pool of candidates. The Bombers at least have the rest of the front office in place now, but they will need to tab a coach sooner rather than later if their personnel guys are going to be in the best position to build a roster that works with what the new on-field boss is trying to do.