The Saskatchewan Roughriders request to interview Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice for the green and white’s head coach job has been denied.

The @sskroughriders have been denied permission to interview @Wpg_BlueBombers OC Paul Lapolice for vacant head coaching position. Lapolice interviewed for @TorontoArgos job in December. The calendar appears to be the issue, just as with Ottawa’s Jamie Elizondo. #CFL #Riders — David William Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) January 20, 2019

“Normally these types of coaching changes happen earlier, which allows teams to adjust,” Bombers general manager Kyle Walters said last Thursday.

LaPolice, who was a top candidate for the opening, spent three seasons coaching in Regina, two as the Riders’ offensive coordinator (2008 and 2009). Saskatchewan general manager Jeremy O’Day was an all-star calibre offensive lineman for the years LaPolice coached in the Queen City.

LaPolice has directed the league’s highest-scoring offence in Winnipeg the past two seasons, scoring league highs in points during 2017 (554) and 2018 (550). He has been credited for designing a quarterback-friendly offence that prioritizes ball control and balance between the air and ground attacks.

LaPolice would have been a perfect candidate to help spark Saskatchewan’s lethargic offence, but the Riders will have to look elsewhere for a head coach after Chris Jones left for the Cleveland Browns.