Doug Brown and Greg Mackling decided on the top seven Blue Bombers head coaches in team history — now the fans have decided on who the top three are.
Here are the results:
1. Bud Grant / 1957-1966
Bud Grant came in first with a whopping 51.1 per cent of the vote.
In 10 seasons with the blue and gold 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 finished second, garnering just over 28 per cent of fan voting.
Murphy spent a total of 14 seasons in Winnipeg, including eight as a head coach. 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 rounds out the top three with about 16 per cent of the vote.
Riley led the Blue Bombers to two Grey Cup championships (1988, 1990) in just four seasons as the head coach. 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.
LISTEN: Doug Brown and Gary Mackling discuss which are the top seven head coaches in Winnipeg Blue Bombers history
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