Courtesy Hamilton Spectator:

Charlie Taaffe’s reprieve has arrived.

The first year Tiger-Cats head coach learned late yesterday that he will retain his job for the 2008 Canadian Football League season.

The team is expected to make a formal announcement early today. Both GM Bob O’Billovich and Taaffe are expected to be on hand to talk about the move.

But reached last night Taaffe, 57, said he’s more determined than ever to turn around a franchise that went 3-15 in 2007 and missed the post-season for the fifth time in six seasons. He predicts the club will hit the double digits for wins in 2008 to secure a post-season berth.

“Well, I’m extremely excited to be able to continue and move forward. Last year was a tough year for everyone,” he says. “I have had a chance to reflect on the season and there is an urgency to right the ship. I don’t think it is that far away.”

Taaffe is a former two-time coach of the year with the Montreal Alouettes. But success eluded him in his first season back in the league after seven years spent coaching in the American collegiate ranks.

The Tiger-Cats fielded four different starting quarterbacks last season, were forced to start two rookies on the offensive line because of injuries, featured an inexperienced receiving corps and started a new defensive backfield for each of the first eight weeks of the season.

Because Taaffe was hired just last December, the rest of the coaching corps was largely inexperienced with the Canadian game. With O’Billovich’s hiring just last week, speculation was rampant that the team might turf Taaffe. That was especially the case when Obie suggested he wanted a head coach who stressed team discipline. The Tiger-Cats didn’t show a lot of that in 2007, finishing near the top in the league in infractions and penalty yardage. Still, they will turn to Taaffe to orchestrate the turnaround.

While the head coach hopes to retain some of his 2007 assistants, the club will move ahead with the hiring of two new co-ordinators. Taaffe said he already has candidates in mind and hopes to have them in place by Christmas.

“I appreciate the confidence that management has shown in me with this decision. I’m more determined than ever to bring a winning team to Hamilton.”

Taaffe said in addition to finding co-ordinators with CFL experience, the team must address a porous secondary, find a starting strong-side linebacker, stabilize the quarterbacking and find some receivers who can catch.

After enduring his worst season in 35 years of coaching, Taaffe faced two options.

“Either you had to turn away from it or it made you more determined to get it right. I feel I had a sense of responsibility to the fans to get it turned in the right direction.”