Winnipeg Blue Bombers hire Tommy Condell as offensive coordinator, Jake Thomas as defensive line coach

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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have hired Tommy Condell as the team’s offensive coordinator and Jake Thomas as the team’s defensive line coach.

Condell hiring was reported late last week. The longtime CFL assistant served as the offensive coordinator with the Ottawa Redblacks for the past two seasons. In 2025, his unit finished sixth in net offence (338.5), eighth in offensive points (22.1), ninth in yards per play (5.99), and second in time of possession (30:59).

The 54-year-old worked closely with franchise quarterback Zach Collaros when he was the offensive coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2013 to 2015. The team reached back-to-back Grey Cup games in his first two seasons, and led the CFL in net offence with Collaros at the helm in 2015.

Condell’s first CFL coaching job came with the Blue Bombers back in 1997 as their special teams coordinator. He has also spent time as the offensive coordinator of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts, and previously held assistant roles with Hamilton, Toronto, and the Ottawa Renegades.

Thomas was originally a fourth-round pick out of the University of Acadia in the 2012 CFL Draft. The 35-year-old played 223 regular-season games over 13 season with the Blue Bombers, recording 196 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, 33 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception. He won the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021.

The native of Douglas, N.B. played all 18 of the team’s regular-season games in 2025 and remained a full-time starter, making nine defensive tackles.

According to the team, incumbent defensive line coach Darrell Patterson is retiring. Incumbent offensive coordinator Jason Hogan is being retained as Winnipeg’s running backs coach, a role he previously held from 2022 to 2024.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.

The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.