| Date of birth: | June 12, 1970 |
| Place of birth: | Nashua, New Hampshire[1] |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | HC |
| College: | Plymouth State College |
| Organizations | |
| As coach: | |
| 2000–2001 2002–03 2004–05 2006 2007 2008–09 2010–2012 |
Toronto Argonauts (RC) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (OC/QC/RC/RBC) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (RC) Toronto Argonauts (RC) Saskatchewan Roughriders (RC) Saskatchewan Roughriders (OC) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (HC) |
| As player: | |
| Plymouth State College | |
Paul LaPolice is a football coach, most recently with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was fired as their head coach on August 25, 2012.
Early life and education[]
LaPolice is a Native of Nashua, New Hampshire where he attended Nashua High School and earned his bachelor of Science in physical education from Plymouth State College in 1994 where he was played Wide Receiver.
Coaching career[]
Early Coaching career[]
He broke into the coaching ranks in 1993 at Maine Maritime Academy where he served as the Receivers and Tight Ends coach on a 9-1 team that won the NEFC and ECAC championship. The next year he was the Receivers Coach at Western Connecticut State University. He left to become the Receivers Coach at the University of New Hampshire for the next two seasons (1995-1996). In 1997, He was named the QB's & Receivers coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The following year he was promoted to Offensive Coordinator where his offenses broke 21 offensive school records in two seasons (1998-1999). In 1998 tailback Krishaun Gilmore was named UCAA and ECAC Player of the Year and a first Team all american selection under LaPolice. The next year Quarterback Matt Robbens was also named UCAA and ECAC Player of the Year making the second in two years under LaPolice, as he led Rensselear to an undefeated regular season.
Canadian Football League[]
LaPolice entered the CFL in 2000 when Toronto Argonauts head coach John Huard hired him to become the team's receivers coach.[2] He spent two years in this capacity until he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and became their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks, receivers and running backs coach. The club set 14 offensive team records in 2002, including Khari Jones throwing for a team record 46 touchdowns and slotback Milt Stegall catching a league-record 23 touchdown passes and being named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player.[3] The offense faltered with a struggling Khari Jones in 2003 and LaPolice was let go at the conclusion of the season.
In 2004 he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the team's receivers coach and stayed with the team for two years until rejoining the Toronto Argonauts, again, as the receivers coach. After former Argos' offensive coordinator Kent Austin was hired as head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, LaPolice joined him as that team's receivers coach. After Austin left the team and Roughrider offensive coordinator Ken Miller was promoted to head coach, LaPolice was, in turn, promoted to offensive coordinator in 2008. The Riders finished 12-6 in 2008 and lost in the 1st round of the playoffs. In 2009, The Riders first 1st in the West for the 1st time in 33 years, won the West Final and lost in the Grey Cup Final to the Montreal Alouettes on the last play. LaPolice's offense finished 2nd in Scoring and in TD's scored as he helped 1st year starting QB Darian Durant to a Western Division All Star nod at QB. After serving in that capacity for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, LaPolice was hired as the 28th head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
CFL Head Coach[]
In just his 2nd year as Head Coach, LaPolice Winnipeg to the 99th Grey Cup after orchestrating one of the biggest turnarounds in CFL History. LaPolice took a team that finished 4-14 the year before and led them to a 10-8 record and 1st place in the East Division for the 1st time since 2001. He was named a finalist for the CFL Coach of the Year in 2011. LaPolice was give a contract extension in March 2012. He was relieved of coaching duties on August 25, 2012.
CFL coaching record[]
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
| WPG | 2010 | 4 | 14 | 0 | .222 | 4th in East Division | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| WPG | 2011 | 10 | 8 | 0 | .556 | 1st in East Division | 1 | 1 | Lost in Grey Cup | |
| WPG | 2012 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 4th in East Division | – | – | Fired | |
| Total | 16 | 28 | 0 | .363 | 1 Division Championship |
1 | 1 | 0 Grey Cups | ||
Media[]
TSN hired LaPolice to be an on air football analyst in November 2012.
References[]
- ↑ "Paul LaPolice - Head Coach, Winnipeg Blue Bombers". Leadership Winnipeg. http://leadershipwinnipeg.ca/projects/2011-2012-class-project/paul-lapolice. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
- ↑ "Survivor: Coach edition". Sportsnet.ca. http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/2007/11/22/lefko_column_survivor/. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
- ↑ "Blue Bombers introduce LaPolice as new head coach". Tsn.ca. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=309056. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
External links[]
| Preceded by Mike Kelly |
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Head Coach 2010–2012 |
Succeeded by Tim Burke |
| Canadian Football League head coaches by team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current managers highlighted | |||||
| West Division | Mike Benevides (BC) | John Hufnagel (Calgary) | Kavis Reed (Edmonton) | Corey Chamblin (Saskatchewan) | |
| East Division | Kent Austin (Hamilton) | Dan Hawkins (Montreal) | Scott Milanovich (Toronto) | Tim Burke (Winnipeg) | |
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