Penton: Walters Will Be GM Soon

[Noeller]

http://ht.ly/r69YU

 

Kyle Walters all but official as Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM  0  

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 01:45 PM CST

is all but official that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will make Kyle Walters their permanent general manager, and it will likely happen early next week.

According to a CFL source, Walters has told at least one potential head coaching candidate that he will have the interim tag removed from his title. Walters, who became Winnipeg’s assistant general manager last December, has been the team’s interim GM since four days after Joe Mack was fired in mid-August.

There has been speculation the Bombers might ask around the league and interview other GM candidates, but that does not appear to be the case. It has been expected for some time that Walters was going to get the job full-time, even though there are more qualified and experienced candidates out there.

After Walters is officially installed as the GM, the next task for the rebuilding Bombers will be to name a head coach and then have him construct a coaching staff.

According to the source, the Bombers have asked for permission to speak to Toronto Argonauts defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones and Calgary Stampeders defensive co-ordinator Rick Campbell.

Winnipeg is also expected to ask for permission to speak to Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterbacks coach Khari Jones, who appears to be the leading candidate to get the gig in Winnipeg thanks in large part to his relationship with Miller. The Bombers have to wait until after the Grey Cup if they want to speak with Jones.

There are reports the Bombers have also asked for permission to speak to Argos special teams co-ordinator Mike O’Shea, who has connections to Walters, about the head coaching gig.

In addition, the Sun reported earlier this week there are rumblings that Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback Danny McManus, currently the head U.S. scout for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, is being eyed by the Bombers, likely for the assistant general manager position
.

 

[Jpan85]

Good he can start Sunday night burning the phone lines to Toronto to get Collaros here.

[OldSchoolBlue]

sigh.

[NotoriousBIG]

Wow. That just screams mediocrity. "We were going to interview some more experienced, higher profile guys but then decided, well, **** it, its Winnipeg."

[road griller]

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball....

[kelownabomberfan]

Wow. That just screams mediocrity. "We were going to interview some more experienced, higher profile guys but then decided, well, **** it, its Winnipeg."

 

Yeah.  Was hoping that they would at least give Higgins a half-hearted shot.  Maybe he's not interested?

[BaconNBigBlue]

Who'd want to come to this spiraling dung hole?

[Atomic]

I like that we at least appear to be moving quickly.  The problem with doing a search for a GM after the season ends is that other teams may use that time to hire a head coach and coordinators, leaving us with the scraps.

[Mike]

Not worried about Walters as GM.

[Mr. Perfect]

Not worried about Walters as GM.

X2 - Walters will be just fine. People will have to move on and find other things to bellyache about.

[sweep the leg]

I'd like to find out who else, if anybody, Miller spoke to about the GM position. I'm ok with Walters having the job, but I'd like to think we at least kicked the tires on other cadidates.See if we had anything close to the "complete & exhaustive search" he talked about when he was hired.

 

Walters with some combination of McManus/Worman/Moll could do a good job for us.

[Mr Dee]

I was waiting for the usual 'reactions'…and haven't been disappointed. Ha!

[B-F-F-C]

I like the move and I believe that Walter's will turn his detractors around. 

 

I believe he's just as qualified to as the other candidates out there.   

[NotoriousBIG]

Truthfully, Walters will likely be adequate. 

 

Just amusing how an "exhaustive" search on Day One predictably became "Kevin will have a role here" to an official interim tag removal.  

 

At least we'll have a proven HC in Khari Jones to take us to the playoffs and beyond. 

[The Unknown Poster]

I think some people here would rather have a big flashy name fail than Walters succeed.

[B-F-F-C]

In the Sun today it speculated that Walters wants O'Shea and Miller would prefer Khari. 

 

We'll see who get's their wish?

[NotoriousBIG]

In the Sun today it speculated that Walters wants O'Shea and Miller would prefer Khari. 

 

We'll see who get's their wish?

 

Miller: I want my friend Khari. 

 

Walters: I think O'Shea would be better. 

 

(Sound of rummaging through a desk drawer)

 

Walters: What are you doing?

 

Miller: Just looking for that interim tag I stripped off your job title. I know I have it here somewhere.

 

Walters: I really like Khari. 

[17to85]

I don't mind Walters getting a shot, I just think that right now given what this team has gone through since 2009 a more experienced person would have looked better. Now granted there maybe aren't a lot of those guys available, the optics of this looks kinda iffy. 

[rebusrankin]

I don't mind Walters getting a shot, I just think that right now given what this team has gone through since 2009 a more experienced person would have looked better. Now granted there maybe aren't a lot of those guys available, the optics of this looks kinda iffy. 

This. Plus it has to be worrisome that we take a poor ST Coach and make him GM in the space of a year.

[Guest]

I'm absolutely shocked by this news, never saw this coming in a million years.

 

If Walters is the right guy for the job then good luck to him, but I wonder how thorough Miller's search actually was.

[Armchair GM]

 

I don't mind Walters getting a shot, I just think that right now given what this team has gone through since 2009 a more experienced person would have looked better. Now granted there maybe aren't a lot of those guys available, the optics of this looks kinda iffy. 

This. Plus it has to be worrisome that we take a poor ST Coach and make him GM in the space of a year.

 

 

Special Teams coaching ability is completely independent of GM capability.

[Guest]

Truthfully, Walters will likely be adequate. 

 

Just amusing how an "exhaustive" search on Day One predictably became "Kevin will have a role here" to an official interim tag removal.  

 

At least we'll have a proven HC in Khari Jones to take us to the playoffs and beyond. 

Who's Kevin ?

[NotoriousBIG]

 

Truthfully, Walters will likely be adequate. 

 

Just amusing how an "exhaustive" search on Day One predictably became "Kevin will have a role here" to an official interim tag removal.  

 

At least we'll have a proven HC in Khari Jones to take us to the playoffs and beyond. 

Who's Kevin ?

 

 

Sorry, Kyle. Guess I better learn his name as he sure isn't going anywhere. 

[M.O.A.B.]

as i said before, im hoping for Higgins but Walters is not bad for me. im optimistic that the tandem of Walters and McManus will work.

[iso_55]

And Worman.