Lions name Pierce as team's head coach

VANCOUVER — Buck Pierce started his CFL career in Vancouver as a player, and that's where he will return for his first job as a head coach.

The Lions announced Tuesday that the former quarterback has been hired as the 28th coach in franchise history.

He replaces Rick Campbell, who was fired after the Lions posted a disappointing 9-9 record this past season and lost in the West Division semifinal in a year Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup.

"Buck was a candidate we identified early in this process as someone who is ready to step in and lead our franchise," Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden said in a release. "His track record in the Canadian Football League as both a player and a coach says it all."

The Lions are expected to hold a press conference Wednesday morning to introduce their new coach.

Pierce comes to the Lions after nine seasons on the coaching staff of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he had been offensive co-ordinator since 2020.

He helped the Bombers win Grey Cup titles in 2019 and '21 and presided over an offence that included star quarterback Zach Collaros and Canadian rushing leader and 2024 most outstanding player Brady Oliveira.

Collaros thrived after joining the Blue Bombers in 2019, when Pierce was quarterbacks coach. He was a CFL all star and the league's outstanding player in 2021 and 2022.

For the 43-year-old Pierce, it's a chance to run a team and return to the city where he started his career.

The former quarterback joined the Lions as a free agent in 2005 and spent five seasons there — winning a Grey Cup in 2006 — before being released.

He signed with Winnipeg and spent parts of four seasons there before being traded back to B.C. part way through the 2013 campaign.

He joined the Bombers staff as running backs coach after announcing his retirement following that season.

"I’m extremely excited and honoured to take this next step in my coaching career with the organization that originally brought me here nearly 20 years ago," Pierce said in the release.

"The building blocks are in place here and we look forward to getting to work as we strive to bring the Grey Cup back to British Columbia," he added.

Pierce sits tenth on the Lions' all-time list with 8,964 passing yards, while his 713 completions are good for eighth spot. The Lions went 22-12-1 with Pierce as the starting quarterback.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.