Higgins interested in joining Blue Bombers
Tom Higgins, the CFL director of officiating, could be making an important call on his future this week.
The former Eskimos and Stampeders coach said he's interested in any of the three Winnipeg Blue Bombers job vacancies and will contact the team's board of directors if he doesn't hear from them soon.
"If there isn't a message, by the end of the week I'd like to get in touch with someone on the board," Higgins told The Canadian Press on Monday from Calgary.
Higgins, 55, has been involved in the CFL for 27 years as a player, assistant coach, head coach, senior vice-president of football operations, general manager and chief executive officer.
The Bombers are looking to fill positions for a vice-president of football operations, head coach and president/chief executive officer.
Higgins, who was appointed the league's director of officiating in 2008, said he's interested in all three positions.
"I think I do qualify for all three," he said. "It all depends on how it ends up getting structured."
The jobs opened up after president/CEO Lyle Bauer resigned Dec. 17 and head coach Mike Kelly was fired the same night.
Hours earlier, Kelly was arrested on charges of simple assault and harassment in an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend at his home in Bridgeport, Pa. The team said Kelly's legal trouble had nothing to do with his dismissal.
His first court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 14.
Kelly was back in Winnipeg on Monday cleaning out his office after his tumultuous rookie season as bench boss.
A local reporter asked Kelly for an interview while he loaded his belongings into a truck. The response was abrupt.
"I'm not talking to the Winnipeg media," the Winnipeg Sun quoted Kelly as saying on its website. "You guys got what you wanted."
The Bombers' board is looking at separating the president/CEO position from football operations, so that person can concentrate on the business side of the team.
David Asper is poised to take over ownership of the Blue Bombers, and his Crestwin Properties has plans to build a new stadium.
Board chairman Ken Hildahl has said that ideally the team would hire the vice-president of football operations by the end of January so that person could have input in selecting a head coach.
Higgins was a candidate for Bombers' head coach after the 1996 season but took himself out of the running for family and business reasons and stayed with Edmonton as its general manager and CEO.
The Bombers job was filled by Jeff Reinebold. Kelly, who was Winnipeg's offensive co-ordinator at the time, also applied for the position.
Won Grey Cup with Eskimos
Higgins' first CFL head coaching job was in 2001 with the Eskimos. He won the Grey Cup with Edmonton in 2003 and was named coach of the year.
The former Calgary Stampeders player and assistant coach was named Calgary's head coach in 2005 and won the league's coach of the year in his first season. The team went 11-7 and lost in the West Division semifinal.
Higgins was fired after the 2007 playoffs, when Calgary lost in the division semifinal and its record declined for the third straight season.
Higgins said his current job is "fabulous" but called the Bomber jobs are intriguing.
"That's a lot of holes they have to fill, but I think they can do it well," he said of the Bombers, who went 7-11 last season and missed the playoffs.
Higgins said the person who takes over will have the chance to build a good football team. The Bombers board has already received permission from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to talk to Brendan Taman about the job of vice-president of football operations.
Taman spent 10 years with the Bombers, the last five as general manager, before resigning last January. He cited a need for a break from football but joined the Roughriders in July as their director of football administration.
Montreal Alouettes scout and longtime CFL executive Mike McCarthy has also said he'd be interested in discussing the opening.