After a couple of off-season departures, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers coaching staff is getting a minor facelift.
The Bombers announced on Tuesday they had promoted Jason Hogan to offensive coordinator, while also hiring Jarious Jackson as their new quarterbacks coach.
Hogan takes over an offence from Buck Pierce that sputtered at times last season and was ranked sixth in the CFL.
Hogan will call the plays on offence after he served as their running backs coach the past three seasons. It’s the second time in as many years they’ve made a promotion to a coordinator position after Jordan Younger took over from Richie Hall as defensive coordinator last year.
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Head coach Mike O’Shea wouldn’t say how many candidates they considered for the vacant OC position, but he clearly sees a big benefit of hiring from within.
“To me, Jason has earned this opportunity,” said O’Shea. “We value continuity, but he had to be the right guy too. It’s not just ‘hey we’re just gonna go with continuity over talent’.
“He knows our personnel. He has a great belief in how we do things. In terms of the playbook, he’s going to put his own mark on it, but I don’t think it’s going to be a whole new language that the offence has to learn.”
With league revenues going up last season, the CFL announced on Wednesday the salary cap is increasing by more than $410,000 to $6.1 million for 2025.
But it’s a day late and a dollar short for the Bombers after receiver Kenny Lawler already bolted. Lawler has verbally agreed to terms with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but can’t officially sign a new contract until free agency begins on Tuesday.
“He would generally be talked about as one of the top receivers in our league every single year when he’s playing,” O’Shea said. “He’s extremely dynamic. His catch radius is unbelievable. He’s a likeable guy in the room. I think anybody who’s thrown to him has a lot of faith that’s he’s going to come down with the football.
“You always miss guys like that.”
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