CFL NOTEBOOK: MORE COACHING MOVEMENT

BOMBERS NAME STAFF

Buck Pierce is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ new offensive co-ordinator.

The Bombers promoted Pierce to the post Tuesday. He replaces Paul LaPolice, who is now the Ottawa Redblacks head coach.

Pierce will continue as Winnipeg’s quarterback coach.

Kevin Bourgoin moves from running backs coach to receivers coach while Pete Costanza joins head coach Mike O’Shea’s staff as running backs coach. Marty Costello remains as offensive line coach.

Costanza comes to Winnipeg after 12 seasons as the receivers coach with the Calgary Stampeders. He was part of three Grey Cup-winning teams.

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ESKIMOS FINALIZE STAFF

EDMONTON – Edmonton head coach Scott Milanovich finalized his staff Tuesday, adding Terry Eisler as running backs coach and Kelly Jeffrey as quarterbacks coach and special-teams assistant.

Eisler returns to Edmonton, where he’d served previously as special-teams co-ordinator (2013), defensive and special-teams assistant (2012) and running backs coach (2007-09). Eisler spent last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as the special teams coach.

Jeffrey is reunited with Milanovich, who brought him to the CFL in 2016 as the Toronto Argonauts’ special-teams co-ordinator.

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ARGOS ADD DB JEAN-BAPTISTE

TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts have signed American defensive back Stanley Jean-Baptiste through 2022.

Jean-Baptiste, 29, played in three pre-season games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 and five in 2018 after signing with the NFL club in October of 2017, while getting in one regular season game during the 2017 season.

Between September 2015 and July 2017, Jean-Baptiste spent time with Jacksonville, Kansas City, Seattle and Detroit.

The six-foot-three, 216-pound Florida native was a second round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 2014 and played in four regular-season games for the NFL club that year.

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TICATS SIGN OL OKAFOR

HAMILTON – The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have re-signed national offensive lineman Kay Okafor to a two-year contract.

Okafor, 26, appeared in all 18 regular season games with three starts at both guard and tackle for the Tiger-Cats in 2019. The six-foot-three, 281-pound native of Enugu, Nigeria also suited up in both of Hamilton’s playoff games, including the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary.

Okafor has appeared in 27 career Canadian Football League games over three seasons with the Tiger-Cats (2017-19) after being selected by Hamilton in the third round, 21st overall, in the 2017 CFL Draft.

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BRAZIL JOINS CFL GLOBAL ALLIANCE

TORONTO – Add Brazil to the CFL 2.0 initiative.

The league announced Tuesday it has reached a partnership with the Confederacao Brasileira de Futebol Americano (CBFA). Brazil becomes the 13th country to sign a co-operative agreement with the CFL since November 2018.

“It is an honour to be part of this exciting partnership,” CBFA president Italo Mingoni said in a statement. “Our work together will showcase the talent and skill of Brazilian players on the world stage and further develop the foundations of the game in our country.”

The Brazilian federation joins the International Alliance of Gridiron Football, a multilateral organization dedicated to expanding tackle football’s global footprint. Other members include federations and/or elite leagues from Austria, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway and Sweden.

“Our international partnerships now include the leading football federations and leagues in South America, Europe and Asia, as well as, Mexico,” said CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “Together, we are building new pathways for players from around the world to seek opportunities in the CFL, for Canadians to play in other countries, and for the league to share its experiences and expertise on coaching, officiating and player development.”

There are more than 18,000 football players registered in regional leagues in Brazil, with the first and second divisions organized by the CBFA having 30 teams each. The CBFA boasts over 400 men’s and women’s squads competing in tackle, flag and beach football.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020.