Last time, we had you decide who the top five Winnipeg Blue Bombers players of all-time are. Now, we want to know which head coach was the best in team history.
Doug Brown and Greg Mackling have narrowed the list down to seven and now you have the opportunity to vote on who belongs in the top three.
Here is the top seven list:
1. Bud Grant / 1957-1966
His statue is erected in front of Investors Group Field, and for good reason.
In 10 seasons with the blue and gold Bud Grant won four Grey Cups. He amassed a 102-56-2 regular season coaching record during his time in Winnipeg to go along with a 16-8-1 record in the playoffs. Grant was the CFL’s Coach of the Year in 1965. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Interestingly, Grant was just 29-years-old when the Blue Bombers hired him.
2. Cal Murphy / 1983-1986, 1993-1996
Cal Murphy spent a total of 14 seasons in Winnipeg, including eight as a head coach.
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In those eight seasons, he put together a regular season record of 86-51-1. That’s good for second all-time in wins behind Grant in franchise history. His lone Grey Cup championship as the head coach of the team came in 1984. The two-time CFL Coach of the Year is also a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
3. Mike Riley / 1987-1990
Mike Riley led the Blue Bombers to two Grey Cup championships (1988, 1990) in just four seasons as the head coach. Not bad.
His team lost in the East Final in the other two years. Riley was the CFL Coach of the Year in the two championship seasons. He holds a 40-32 regular season record as the head coach of the blue and gold.
4. Dave Ritchie / 1999-2004
In five full seasons in Winnipeg, Dave Ritchie led the Blue Bombers to four playoff appearances, including a Grey Cup appearance in 2001, when he was the CFL Coach of the Year after a 14-4 season.
Ritchie is the CFL’s seventh all-time winningest coach with 108 career wins during stints in B.C., Montreal and Winnipeg. He is third on the club’s all-time coaching wins list with 52 (52-44-1).
5. Reg Threlfall / 1938-1941
The sixth head coach in team history, Reg Threlfall posted a 28-8 regular season record while guiding the Blue Bombers to four Grey Cup appearances, winning two titles (1939, 1941).
6. Bob Fritz / 1935-1937
The fifth head coach in team history, Bob Fritz led the Blue Bombers to a Grey Cup championship in his first season with the team. Oh, did we mention he also played quarterback in his three years with the blue and gold? The Blue Bombers went 12-6-1 during Fritz’s tenure.
7. Ray Jauch / 1978-1982
Let’s fast forward a few decades to round out the list. Ray Jauch spent five seasons in Winnipeg, winning 45 regular season games (45-35).
Jauch was the CFL Coach of the Year in 1980. He’s also sixth on the league’s all-time coaching wins list (127).
LISTEN: Blue Bombers ‘experts’ Doug Brown and Greg Mackling trim the field of coaches.
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Okay now it’s time to vote!
Among the carefully selected seven Blue Bomber head coaches below, which one do you think is the best?
We’ll tabulate the votes at the end the week and share which earn the most votes to be named the top three Bomber coaches ever.
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