Blue Bombers add Marcel Bellefeuille to coaching staff - Action News
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Manitoba

Blue Bombers add Marcel Bellefeuille to coaching staff

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to change up their front office, hiring longtime CFL coach Marcel Bellefeuille to add experience to the team's offensive coaching staff.
Marcel Bellefeuille has been hired by the Blue Bombers to help their struggling offence. (bluebombers.com)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to change up their front office, hiring longtime CFL coach Marcel Bellefeuille to add experience to the team's offensive coaching staff.

"Marcel is a very experienced coach who has had lots of success on the offensive side of the ball as a position coach, a coordinator and a head coach," Bombers head coach TimBurke said.

"He will add experience to our staff and will be another voice in our offensive meetings who our offensive staff can lean on to provide us with new insights and ideas thanks to his wealth of knowledge at the CFL level."

The Bombers' offense is one of the worst in the CFL and has lost their past four games, leaving the team with a 1-5 record.

The team shook things up Friday by firing GM Joe Mack and mutually deciding with CEO Garth Buchko thathe should also leave.

Bellefeuille spent three seasons as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' head coach from 2009-2011, guiding his team to the playoffs in each of his three full seasons at the helm, including an appearance in the East Final in 2011.

Bellefeuille was originally hired by the Tiger-Cats to be their offensive coordinator in 2008 after successful stints in the same capacity with the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

He began his CFL coaching career in 2001 with the Roughriders.

Prior to joining the CFL, Bellefeuille won a Vanier Cup as head coach of the Ottawa Gee-Gees in 2000.

He spent last season with the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks as their receivers coach.

QB shakeup

The Bombersalso shook up their quarterback lineup, announcing on Monday that that Max Hall will start in Friday's match against the Tiger-Cats.

There was some confusion as to who made that decision, but head coach Tim Burke said themove ultimately rested on the shoulders of offensive coordinator Gary Crowton.

It came as a shock to Justin Goltz, who had started the last couple games.

"Obviously I'm not very fond of it. Don't really understand it. I think it was poorly managed," Goltz told reporters.

Goltz has been relegated to third string, while veteran QB Buck Pierce will serve as backup.

Pierce said he has never seen this kind of quarterback juggling before.

"I don't know. I've been in this league for a long time and, you know, it's a first," he said.