Wednesday, August 6, 2008 6:06 PM
Naylor: Coaching carousel has yet to turn
David Naylor
After six weeks, the CFL has two 1-5 teams.
Which one might think would spell trouble for the respective head coaches of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
While nothing in coaching is certain, that seems unlikely in the short term, for both Winnipeg's Doug Berry and Hamilton's Charlie Taaffe.
Berry just signed a new three-year contract before the start of the season. Firing him would mean the Blue Bombers would have to pay him through to the end of the 2010 season. And with a publicly-owned franchise, that's never going to happen.
Taaffe's situation seems a little more in doubt, given that he now has a 4-20 record as the Ticats head coach, dating back to the start of last season.
But last year's 3-15 debacle was hardly Taaffe's fault alone, given the state of chaos surrounding Hamilton's football operations side.
And general manager Bob O'Billovich told the team when he was hired that he does not believe in firing coaches mid-season.
Berry is probably safe through to at least the early part of next season. Taaffe, however, will have to turn the Cats around this season in order to be invited back to for the final season in his three-year contract.