Buck Pierce recently made a decision that benefits both Winnipeg and the Blue Bombers: he is staying in his current position rather than exploring other training opportunities.
Widely respected as a player, citizen, assistant coach and now as the club’s offensive coordinator, Pierce has seen his name linked with openings in the Canadian Football League in recent seasons, including, most recently, the RedBlacks. of Ottawa and their head coach. vacancy which was filled by Bob Dyce.
“I told Ottawa that I was extremely humbled and honored to have been considered a nominee,” Pierce told bluebombers.com “But I like being in the moment and doing what I’m doing now, and until that changes I don’t feel like I need to do anything else.
The Blue Bombers are coming off a 2022 season in which the club set a franchise record with 15 wins, while the offense led the CFL with 58 touchdowns and was second in offensive points scored with 28. 2 (the BC Lions were first at 28.3). Zach Collaros posted back-to-back MVP seasons working with Pierce while players like Nic Demski, Rasheed Bailey, Dalton Schoen – the CFL’s top rookie in 22 – and Brady Oliveira also had career-best numbers working in the attack.
All of this naturally made Pierce an in-demand coach, but he’s not quitting for a number of reasons, including family roots in Winnipeg and an overwhelming feeling that he just has a good thing going on right now.
“It’s a little weird to think about that because a lot of people in most professions – and certainly in football – always assume that as an assistant coach you want to move up the ranks and become a head coach a day and run your own team,” Pierce said. “I would like to be a head coach one day. I really enjoy the process of professional football and being with the guys, especially the CFL game.
“I became a coach because I like the competitive side, and I like to see players grow and succeed over time and help them improve. I’ve enjoyed seeing that growth here and I want it to continue to have that impact on the players here.
There’s also this: Like just about every player or coach who’s spoken out since last month’s Gray Cup loss, there’s always a sour taste. Said Pierce of this loss. “Shoot, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.
“I’ve always looked at things from a big picture perspective and understood the importance of appreciating where you are and appreciating what you’re doing,” he added. “That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy a head coaching position, but I just know that what I’m doing now is where I’m supposed to be and it’s about doing what’s right for me. and my family right now. It’s about being here and continuing to aim for another championship.
Born in Hutchinson, Kansas, raised in California and originally from New Mexico, Pierce began his CFL career with the BC Lions in 2005 before spending the 2010-13 season with the Blues. Bombers. Three days after announcing his retirement in 2014, Pierce joined Mike O’Shea’s coaching staff, serving as an assistant until becoming offensive coordinator in 2020. And along the way, this town has grown with him.
“This game takes a lot and demands a lot from you, especially at the coaching level,” he said. “Even as a player, you sacrifice a lot to do what you love to do. The older you get, the more family members you have that are part of that journey.
“So to be able to do that in a city I’ve been in for over a decade, that consistency is something that’s rare in this industry and so having that – consistency and enjoying what you’re doing – definitely helps.
“I consider at some point to be a head coach, whether in the CFL or elsewhere. It’s just not something I think about much right now. I think about how we prepare for another season, how can we put our players in positions to be successful and then go out there and be the best attack we can be in a changing world where we have to adapt. This is the exciting challenge for me right now.
” I like what I do. I heard Osh say it too, but I don’t think about those other things until I have to. I love being the offensive coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This is where I am at the moment: I am preparing to do another race in another championship.