
CHARLOTTE, NC — Buck Pierce knows the BC Lions very well, both as a player and a coach.
Pierce, a former CFL quarterback, has made his return to the Lions, this time as the team’s 28th head coach. As a player, Pierce had an impressive career with the Lions, holding the tenth spot on the club’s all-time list with 8,964 passing yards and eighth spot with 713 completions.
After retiring, Piece embarked on a coaching career that spanned over a decade, with his most recent stint being with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. During his time with the Blue Bombers, Pierce served as the running backs coach, quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator, helping the team secure two Grey Cup victories and four consecutive West Division championships.
The new bench boss for the Orange and Black talked to CFL.ca during the 2025 Winter Meetings in Charlotte about his quarterback Nathan Rourke, his new coaching staff and more.
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The Blue Bombers and Lions battled for supremacy over the West Division in the last few seasons, including two straight Western Finals in 2022 and 2023. Pierce’s Bombers came out on top both times, but he knew it was far from an easy job.
“Whenever we would play BC over the last couple of years, we always knew it was going to be a physical game,” said Pierce. “You knew that it was probably going to come down to a play or two here or down to the last drive.
“We always knew it was going to be a tough battle and I think there are some extremely talented players here. There’s a core group that that are excited to get over the hump and take the next step and get to the next level.”
BC has established itself under former head coach Rick Campbell and departed pivot Vernon Adams Jr. as a pass-first team. The Leos gashed and dashed their opponents through the air at BC Place, playing a high-pace style of offence that led to regular season success, but eventually faltered in the post-season.
Pierce’s offence in Winnipeg offered a more balanced approach, relying on running back Brady Oliveira to take pressure of Zach Collaros and the passing game, leading to Most Outstanding Player seasons for both Oliveira and Collaros.
“I’ve always believed as a coordinator that balance is key. What it takes to win football games is being the more physical team, winning the physical battle on a weekly basis.”
Speaking of physical presence, Pierce praised top pending free agent receiver Justin McInnis, who led the league in receiving yards in 2024 as the top aerial threat in the CFL and is scheduled to become a free agent in February.
“Obviously he’s a guy that we want to get back,” said the head coach. “He’s a key piece, we’ve seen what he’s done, his growth over his time in the CFL and what he did last year was fun to watch.”
Pierce’s offence in Winnipeg was highly successful in big part due to the development of Collaros as one of the best pivots in the CFL. The quarterback was named Most Outstanding Player twice (2021, 2022) and helped the Bombers capture two Grey Cups (2019, 2021), while also winning four straight West Division titles. Finally, Mike O’Shea’s team reached four straight Grey Cups, establishing itself as the team to beat in the CFL over the last half decade.
Being able to help a quarterback develop is one of the most highly coveted coaching skills in football, one that the Lions hope Pierce can bring to BC to help young pivot Nathan Rourke reach the same heights as Collaros did in Winnipeg. The former offensive coordinator said he has seen in Rourke some traits that reminds him of his former two-time MOP quarterback.
“I actually see some similarities between the two,” Pierce said when asked about the comparison between the two signal-callers. “They’re both extremely competitive, want to be coached and when I speak to Nathan, he’s extremely hungry. He wants nothing more than to help this team win and to be the guy to do that.
“The quarterback position is something that you have to develop into. (It’s on me) to put him in the best possible situations and continue to be on the same page as a quarterback and a play caller.
“I’m excited to continue to get to know Nathan and work with him more and more.”