Courtesy Hamilton Spectator:

It was the first question the Tiger-Cats’ general manager faced.

But the answer won’t come for about another week.

Just after being introduced as the new GM yesterday, Bob O’Billovich was asked whether he plans to retain Charlie Taaffe as the club’s head coach.

“How did I know that was going to be asked?” he quipped.

The answer? Don’t know yet.

O’Billovich met Taaffe for the first time yesterday morning. He plans to meet the current Ticat coach a couple more times before Taaffe returns to his Baltimore off-season home tomorrow. He will likely meet him again early next week. O’Billovich said he will probably decide on whether Taaffe, who went 3-15 in his first season with the Cats, will return next season by Wednesday.

“Charlie Taaffe won Coach of the Year two years in a row in this league. He went through a terrible year last year, maybe for a lot of different reasons. But he didn’t get stupid overnight.

“It was important for me to give him the opportunity to talk to me to see if there is a potential for a good working relationship. … He made a very favourable impression on me right now so we’ll just wait and see how that works out.”

Whether Charlie remains is up to Obie, because he is the boss on all football matters. He said Hamilton president Scott Mitchell made that clear before O’Billovich put his name on his three-year contract.

If he determines that Taaffe won’t return, O’Billovich said, he would begin interviewing head coaching candidates immediately.