Manitoba

'Coach Cal' on life support in Regina hospital

Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Cal Murphy is on life support at a Regina hospital, team officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Cal Murphy is on life support at a Regina hospital, team officials confirmed on Tuesday.

A club spokesperson said Murphy was admitted due to a heart ailment, but didn't comment further.

However, media reports quoted sources saying that Murphy's condition was improving on Tuesday evening.

The 78-year-old has a history of heart trouble. In 1992, he underwent emergency bypass surgery followed by a heart transplant.

Murphy was head coach of the Blue Bombers for 14 years. He joined the team in 1983 and stayed until 1996, becoming known affectionately throughout the city as 'Coach Cal.'

A two-time winner of the CFL's outstanding coach award, Murphy has nine Grey Cup rings, earned during a career that took him through half the clubs in the league.

In addition to coaching the Winnipeg Blue Bombers,  he also served with the Montreal Alouettes, Edmonton Eskimos and British Columbia Lions, before wrapping up his CFL career in 1999 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

But it was with his hometown team that Murphy peaked, guiding the Bombers during his tenure to three Grey Cup wins and five appearances.

Murphy was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2004.