Winnipeg Blue Bombers fire head coach Paul LaPolice; Tim Burke takes over

WINNIPEG – Paul LaPolice has paid the price for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ losing season.

The CFL team fired its head coach on Saturday and replaced him with defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke.

The announcement comes a day after the Blue Bombers dropped 20-17 decision at home to the B.C. Lions to fall to 2-6 on the season, last in the East Division.

LaPolice was in his third season in Winnipeg. He leaves the team with a 16-28 record.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to make especially when dealing with the kind of quality individual as Paul is,” Blue Bombers vice-president and general manager Joe Mack in a statement. “As the season has progressed, and looking back on how we struggled throughout the second half of the year in 2011, we have become increasingly concerned with the direction of our club and felt this was in the best interest of our entire organization.”