Bombers hire Buck Pierce as RB coach

Bombers Name Buck Pierce RB Coach

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have brought back a familiar face and fan favourite – former quarterback Buck Pierce. Pierce will join Head Coach Mike O’Shea’s staff in the role of Running Backs Coach.

Pierce retired from the Canadian Football League on Tuesday after nine seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions, finishing with 15,289 yards, 76 touchdowns, 1,200 completions, and 130 games played.

“Deciding not to play anymore was a difficult decision, but having the opportunity to re-join the Bombers in a coaching role was really a perfect fit. I am thrilled they wanted me to be a part of what I believe will be a great thing here in Winnipeg. I said when I was traded that I hoped one day I would be back in some capacity, andtoday is a really special day for my family and me,? said Pierce.

One of the most popular players to don a Bomber uniform over the past decade, Pierce was traded to the B.C. Lions in September of 2013 after spending close to four seasons in Winnipeg. The Kansas born Pierce became a true Winnipegger throughout that time, laying deep roots in the Manitoba capital, both personally and professionally. He is involved in countless community initiatives including Special Olympics Manitoba, Manitoba Minor Football, Ronald McDonald House, Faces of Freedom, The Dream Factory and United Way after school programs.

“Buck has been through the trenches as a quarterback in this league. He has great experience, and will be a valued asset to our coaching staff,? said Head Coach Mike O’Shea. “He will be able to relate to our players very well, and the ability to add a former CFL quarterback to our staff was important to us. He will be a great teacher to our running backs and a strength to our offensive staff."

“We are very excited to welcome Buck back to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. His dedication to our community, our organization, and passion to be a winner, makes this a great fit for not only our football operations, but our entire organization. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a better franchise with Buck Pierce a part of it, and I’m very pleased Kyle and Mike were able to bring him on board,? said President and CEO Wade Miller.

A solid move for both player and organiztion. Pierces job is by far a charity case situation.
During his much injured career Buck spent a lot of time up in the booth with the OC so he already has a good amount of expereince and would guess he may be sitting along side of Marcel during games.

I presume you mean “Pierce’s job is far from a charity case situation.”

I think he will have the players’ respect and will continue his engagement with the community in multiple facets. Always good to have a coach that knows and lives the game and the city.

…I was wondering how long it would be before Buck got the call to return to Wpg., after his retirement as a player announcement…not long…I like the move and seeing as he has his business and family now in the Peg, it only makes sense…What he brings to the team in tenacity and true grit is invaluable…Don’t know about his rb. knowledge but he did seem like one on some plays…Great hire :thup:

Great hire. It would have been tough to see him on the sidelines of another team (riders, I'm looking at you).It is also good to see this organization step up to the plate and have a full contingent of coaches.

X2 !

Buck will probably be required to be the first assistant coach in CFL history to wear a helmet on the sidelines. :slight_smile:

…c’mon bobo. where’s the pic. :lol: I’m sure you can conjure something up…As far as Buck goes ,in the brief period of time he was playing here ,he became one of my all time favourites…I just like the guy and NO I’m not his dad…I hope he does well in the coaching ranks… :thup:

Excellent, a guy who couldn't play qb very well is now coaching the running backs. Why don't we all just acknowledge that this hiring has nothing to do with increasing on-field productivity and everything to do with public relations. Should have just hired him to make appearances and call prospective ticket buyers instead. They've wasted a coaching position on a guy who's got about as much credibility in reading blocks, pass catching and blocking as Roberto Luongo. Nice guy, lousy coaching hire.

Did u say the same thing about Dave Dickenson when Calgary hired him as RB coach after he retired? You know, the guy every team has been trying to pry out of Calgary offering him their head coaching job the last couple of years and is the heir apparent to Hufnagel? Save it for a year from now when you can actually have some information to judge as to whether this was a lousy hire.

You dropped the ball on this one. Maybe Buck can give you a few tips.
Yes, this is an entry level hiring, and for most, a popular one.
You’re also selling Pierce short if you think all he can do is play QB. And, when healthy, he was a pretty good option.
He has acquired a world of knowledge playing in his career and there’s more than a slim chance that he has picked up a few pointers along the way.
Give the guy a chance, he may surprise you.
After all, Dave Dickensen was given his start as a RB coach, and he didn’t turn out too bad.

You surely aren't comparing Pierce to Dickenson are you? One guy was an excellent qb who knew where everyone should be at all times and the other was mediocre at best even when healthy, which wasn't very often. It's a public relations hire people, don't kid yourselves. A running back that would listen to anything Pierce tells them should find another line of work. You people should know enough by now to spot a gift being given to someone after the horrible appointments of Bombers past; wake up!

What does how good a QB he was on the field have anything to do with how good a coach someone turns out to be? Why should any running back have listened to anything Dickenson had to say since he played QB and not RB? Mike McCoy was Dickensons backup in Calgary, did he even ever play? Nothing to show for a pro career. Then he becomes a WR coach in the NFL, moving up the ranks to OC with the Denver Broncos for a couple of seasons, and is now the HC of the San Diego Chargers. Kelly Bates is the BC Lions RB coach having been an OL during his player days, former QB Jason Maas is a WR coach with the Argos.

Your comments are just unintelligent. A former player’s success on the field has nothing to do with how good a coach they can be, or whether they have the aptitude to teach a different position than they played in their careers. How do you know what aptitude any of these guys has? Were you in the film room and coaching sessions and what kind of student of the game either Pierce or Dickenson were? Dickenson had the fortune of playing in better circumstance in Calgary with better talent around him than Mack put around Pierce. Mack had virtually no clue about any NI player who didn’t play in the NCAA. Mack also continually ignored top CIS NI Oline talent in the draft, instead leaving the cupboards poorly stocked when NI olineman he inherited when the got the job like Khan and LaBatte left the team. There’s more to a players career than the statistics he ended up with and that won’t necessarily determine how good a coach he will be. The only comparison is that Dickenson is another former CFL QB who began a coaching career as a RB coach and prospered, so it’s possible for Buck to follow the same path. Time will tell if Buck can be successful but your reasoning is beyond ridiculous.

While the new group has done a nice job thus far, this move smacks of cronyism and everyone but Bomber fans seem to understand this. Why you people don't understand this is anyone's guess but even unintelligent people have the ability to see patronage appointments when presented with one. Surprised that you, Wolverine, would allow yourself to be bathed in such filth; you should know better!

Or maybe, just maybe, you’re wrong and Buck Pierce is more than capable of being judged by what he knows, and aspires to do.
Deny him the opportunity for this position because “it doesn’t look good”? - that’s just weird.

http://media.orangeandwhite.com/media/img/photos/2012/09/01/IMG_1675_t607.jpg

http://www.playworks.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/signwearahelmetsafety_gallery1.jpg

:lol: Just for you Papazoo!!!!! :lol:

http://www.nwsportsbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/buck-pierce.jpg

Good Luck Buck!!! :thup: :thup: :thup:

....LOL...good one bobo....the bottom pic looks like Buck is relieved to see, that his head is still on his shoulders and not in the helmet.....Buck and luck didn't always seem to go together while he played...hopefully in the coaching ranks it'll be different.. :wink:

Aside from the Bombers Buck had at least 2 other CFL teams looking to hire him, so clearly this is cronyism. It has nothing to do with Buck taking the Winnipeg job over one of the other proposals because he lives in Winnipeg full time and is marrying a Winnipeg girl. Or maybe Walters in his former coaching duties or Marcel B in his stint last year as OC saw potential in him as a coach, something media members covering the bombers in the past have suggested.

Is this a pure PR move? 1/2 the people in this city were glad to get rid of him and having him back here even as a coach won’t make them happy in any sort of way. If Walters, Miller, and company wanted a big PR move they would’ve overpaid for Henry Burris and made many many more bomber fans happy than they did by hiring Pierce as a coach. I just don’t think that’s their style. I’m not bathing in any filth. I’ll give Buck a chance as a coach. If this season falls apart, it won’t be because Buck is the RB coach. It’ll be because the new starting QBs aren’t up to the task, or because the new head coach or Marcel B and/or Etchevarry aren’t up to the task, or the bombers have personnel issues either from injuries or quality on the roster. Buck Pierce being a RB coach is the least of our worries.

Just a little tibit for all the B.B. fans on here posting about Buck being a QB and hired as a R.Back coach,and how silly it is.Last year the Cats R.Back coach was none other than Corey Grant,who had an 11 yr career as a wide receiver,never played rb in his time as a player.Well as everyone knows the Cats had one of the most exciting young running backs in CJ Gable that this league has seen in a long time,I can't help but think that Corey's yrs of experience playing in the league helped contribute to Gable's success,even though he himself never played the position in his CFL career.I really can't see the B.B's being in a strength position of being able to afford a "patronage" or "goodwill" signing of any coach in a rebuilding year for the team.IMO Buck got the job solely on the fact that management thinks he is the right fit for the position and the right man for the job,otherwise they wouldn't have hired him in the first place.Besides Buck did a lot of running(mostly for his life :lol:) in his career,and I think he might know a thing or two about running and scrambling in certain situations that he can relay and relate to when it comes to the r.back position.Good luck to him and the B.B.'s this year.....believe me you could do a lot worse than having Buck as one of your assistants.

I think for the most part you also have to consider what a RB coach will have to do. There will be a lot of work on taking had offs, catching passes, reading the D at the LOS and determining where to go to block, and position specific drills. A lot of what is expected of the RB on every play will come from how Marcel B designs the offense. There's a fair amount of crossover between what tools they need from a RB coach and what Buck did as a QB. At the same time, they are adding to the staff a former CFL QB as a resource to go along with a QB coach who doesn't have a lot of CFL knowledge.