Dollar shrinks, Buck rises

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This article was published 18/11/2022 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA – There’s going to be a moment, maybe even in the near future, when Buck Pierce will need to make a serious decision.

Pierce has spent eight years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the last two as the club’s offensive co-ordinator, and over that time he’s established himself as a pivotal piece within the organization. He’s highly respected by his fellow coaches and adored by players, all of whom are open and honest about the love they share for him as both a thoughtful human being and dedicated coach.

Given the complexities of the CFL, how tightknit a community it is and how quickly word can travel, it’s only a matter of time before opposing teams start looking towards Pierce as their next head coach. Simply put, you don’t have the kind of success Pierce has had over his career or make the kind impression he’s made on those around him and not get the opportunity to take that next step.

“First and foremost, you’re not going to outwork him. He’s truly the definition of first one in, last one out. Guys have to tell him sometimes to just go home,” Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros said Saturday following his team’s final walkthrough ahead of Sunday’s Grey Cup.

“He cares so much because he has a really good feel of what’s going on in a game, having played, and then just maturing in the role. It’s been awesome going through the process with him, with his first year as OC and play calling and me being the quarterback. It’s been a really cool evolution for both of us.”

Pierce was promoted to OC in 2021 after the departure of Paul LaPolice, who left to take over the head coaching duties with the Ottawa Redblacks. Before that, he was hired by head coach Mike O’Shea to be the running backs coach and then after two seasons took over the role of quarterbacks coach.

In the last two seasons, Pierce has evolved into one of the most gifted offensive minds in the CFL.

In his first year running the offence, the Bombers finished the season first in points and touchdowns and second in yards, as the Blue and Gold claimed the second of back-to-back Grey Cups. This season has been much of the same, with Winnipeg’s attack among the most dangerous in the league.

“I appreciate how much he cares about us as people, the sacrifice and the time he makes for us as players,” said Bombers all-star guard Patrick Neufeld, as a lump starts to form in his throat. “You can’t help but love and respect a guy who does that for you. I get a little bit emotional, but he’s just one of the best people and to have him on our side is fantastic.”

In talking to several others, a common theme began to emerge, with each noting the key to Pierce’s success has been his willingness to take input from players and use their advice and thoughts when building a game plan.

While that might seem like an obvious recipe for success, it’s more rare than one might think. In football, a sport where egos can often take over and job security is pretty much non-existent, leaning on other’s ideas is actually pretty unique.

“You’d be surprised how many co-ordinators or coaches that (when you talk) it goes in one ear and out the other, where they’re kind of stuck in their ways or stubborn,” said running back Andrew Harris, who spent five seasons with Pierce in Winnipeg before signing this year with the Toronto Argonauts. “He really listens to the players and understands that we’re the ones out there that have to execute. I respect the hell out of Buck Pierce – as a teammate, as a coach and as a man.”

Harris and Pierce were teammates with the B.C. Lions, playing together in 2009 and then again in 2013. Pierce spent six years with the Lions, with four seasons as a Bomber sandwiched in between. In both stops he quickly became a fan-favourite for how he played with such reckless abandonment on the field and his commitment to the community off of it.

Harris said that because Pierce, who retired in 2013 and then immediately started coaching the next year, isn’t far removed from the game, it has allowed him to take a more empathetic approach with his players. He understands the nuances of today’s athlete, Harris added, and the challenges they face in their professional and personal lives.

“Sometimes you get older offensive co-ordinators that don’t really understand what the modern game is like now or what modern life is like for us now,” he said. “All those things are contributing factors to his success, for sure.”

After O’Shea took over the Bombers in 2014, in what his first head coaching job, Pierce was an obvious choice when he looked at forming a staff around him. But while Pierce was clearly viewed as an asset, it took a bit of interference from president and CEO Wade Miller to make it happen.

As the story goes, Pierce was attending a Winnipeg Jets game and spent much of the night preoccupied by his phone. When Darren Cameron, the Bombers senior director of public and player relations, asked him why he was so distracted, Pierce hesitated to answer but eventually confessed that the Saskatchewan Roughriders wanted to make him their QB coach.

Cameron called Miller, who then told him to relay to Pierce not to make any rash decisions just yet. That turned into a call from Miller to O’Shea and the rest is history.

“Just by the way he related to people you knew he was going to be a good coach,” O’Shea said. “It’s hard to describe; there’s a lot of words you could use. He’s excellent. Very smart. Humble. Very creative. A tireless worker. He’s been in that position. He gets people and likes what he’s doing. The list goes on and on and it’s the perfect combination of 75 adjectives for one person.”

Asked if he could see Pierce as a head coach one day, O’Shea answered by saying he’s an excellent coach right now. It was clear O’Shea didn’t want to provide the perfect sales pitch for other teams, especially not with the Bombers locked in on beating the Argonauts Sunday for a third consecutive Grey Cup.

Predictably, Pierce was too focused on the present to want to dive into his future during an interview with the Free Press earlier in the week. It’s hard not to believe him when he says he’s fully invested with the task at hand and when reminded Grey Cup week is the time where these type of stories tend to ramp up, he changed the topic answered by sharing how blessed he is to be around such incredible coaches and players.

It’s not as though Pierce doesn’t hear the things being said about him and he admitted he’s asked by a lot of reporters and friends about one day being a head coach. He’s thought about it, to be sure, but it’s not something he feels is worth overthinking.

“I don’t know. We’ll see,” Pierce said. “I give the same answer to everybody. I’m excited about what I’m doing and I’m thrilled to be working with the guys I’m working with every day.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton