Charlie Taaffe
Encyclopedia
Charlie Taaffe is an American football
coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator
for the UCF Knights. Taaffe's coaching career stretches back to 1973, when he was an offensive coach for the University at Albany. From 1984 to 1986, he was an offensive coordinator for Army
, as well as for the Maryland Terrapins
from 2001 to 2005, and the Pittsburgh Panthers
for the 2006 season. Taaffe also served as the head football coach at The Citadel
from 1987 to 1996, and was the head coach of the Canadian Football League
Montreal Alouettes
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
(1 with Clemson
, then 3 with Siena College
) Taaffe's coaching career began in 1973 as an Offensive Backfield coach at Albany. He then served two years as a Graduate Assistant at Georgia Tech
(Wide Receivers) and North Carolina State (Offensive Backs). From 1976 to 1980 he was an Assistant Coach at Virginia
, working with the Offensive Backfield, Linebackers, and Special Teams. From 1981–83 he was a Quarterbacks coach and Offensive Backfield coach at the U.S. Military Academy. From 1984 until 1986 Taaffe served a successful stint as an Army's offensive coordinator. In his three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Cadets had a combined record of 23–13.
in the quarterfinals. For his efforts, Taaffe won the Eddie Robinson Award
. In 10 seasons at The Citadel, his overall record was 55–47–1, including six seasons of .500 or better and is the school's winningest head coach.
Taaffe was suspended by the school for the entire 1996 season after his second drunken-driven arrest in three years. Taaffe admitted to the police that he had four to six beers prior to driving Charlie Taaffe was acquitted of the charges on February 6, 1997 after prosecutors failed to prove that Taaffe was under the influence when he was stopped. It was the second time he had been cleared of drunken driving.
from 1997 to 1998, helping the Als to a 25–10–1 record. In 1999 he became the team's head coach. With Taaffe at the helm, the Alouettes had a combined 25–14 record, including an appearance in the 2000 Grey Cup. For his efforts in 1999 and 2000, Taaffe won the Annis Stukus Trophy
as the CFL's Coach of the Year, making him only the second Montreal coach to win the award (Marv Levy
being the first in 1974) and the first coach in CFL history to earn the honor in each of his first two seasons.
While in Montreal, Taaffe's offenses put up some impressive numbers. In 2000, the Alouettes broke the CFL's all-time record for points in a regular season as they posted 594. Taaffe helped quarterback Anthony Calvillo
to a 112.9 passer rating in 2000. Running back Mike Pringle also excelled in Taaffe's system, rushing for a league-best 1,656 yards in 1999.
. Taaffe's option offense helped the team to an average of 220.7 yards per game on the ground, second-best in the league. Shaun Hill
flourished at quarterback and was a second team All-ACC selection. In 2002, the Terps set a school record for points scored with 451 while finishing second in the ACC in rushing (198.8 ypg) and scoring (32.2 ppg) offense. Taaffe helped guide quarterback Scott McBrien
to an honorable mention all-league performer and finished 12th nationally in pass efficiency.
At Maryland Taaffe's offense earned national respect with a balanced attack that beat opponents both on the ground and through the air. In 2004 he led the offense during the school's first-ever victory over Florida State, then ranked No. 5. A year earlier, Taaffe helped guide the Terps through injuries to finish the season ranked in the top 30 nationally in four offensive categories (rushing (24th), total offense (28th), scoring (27th) and pass efficiency (26th).
.
hired Taaffe as Offensive Coordinator. UCF was in much needed help on offense after finishing the 2008 season
ranked 119th on total offense and 115th in passing offense. Charlie also brought his son Brian Taaffe, a freshman quarterback transfer from Fordham University
.
Taaffe immediately went to work and the 2009
offense featured senior transfer quarterback Brett Hodges and a sophomore running-back Brynn Harvey. UCF posted a 8–5 record for the year, losing its bowl game, St. Petersburg Bowl
, to Rutgers 24 to 45. Beginning the 2010 season
, UCF's offense featured a two-quarterback system, which junior Rob Calabrese and freshman Jeffrey Godfrey. Taaffe also devised a committee of running-backs for the Knights run-game, including Ronnie Weaver, Latavius Murray, and Jonathan Davis. Jeff Godfrey would eventually take over as the starter after an injury to Rob Calabrese early in the season. Taaffe would also develop a new offensive package known as the "Wild Knight." The new offensive package developed by Taaffe and the Knights continued defensive dominance led the Knights to their most successful season in program history. The Conference USA Championship game
featured a 17–7 win over the SMU Mustangs, earning UCF its second C-USA title, and earning the Knights an invite to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl
. The Knights would defeat SEC
foe Georgia
10–6 in the Liberty Bowl, for the program's first ever bowl win. With the successful season, UCF was ranked in the final polls for the first time, No. 20 in the coaches poll, No. 21 in the AP poll, and No. 25 in the BCS poll.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the UCF Knights. Taaffe's coaching career stretches back to 1973, when he was an offensive coach for the University at Albany. From 1984 to 1986, he was an offensive coordinator for Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, as well as for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
from 2001 to 2005, and the Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
for the 2006 season. Taaffe also served as the head football coach at The Citadel
The Citadel
-Places:*The Citadel , a 201 m skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates*The Citadel , the old fortified city of Gozo, Malta*The Citadel , a shopping mall in Colorado*The Citadel , a diving spot in Martinique...
from 1987 to 1996, and was the head coach of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
Coaching career
After 4 years as a college quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
(1 with Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, then 3 with Siena College
Siena College
Siena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Loudonville, in the town of Colonie, New York, United States. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and...
) Taaffe's coaching career began in 1973 as an Offensive Backfield coach at Albany. He then served two years as a Graduate Assistant at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(Wide Receivers) and North Carolina State (Offensive Backs). From 1976 to 1980 he was an Assistant Coach at Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, working with the Offensive Backfield, Linebackers, and Special Teams. From 1981–83 he was a Quarterbacks coach and Offensive Backfield coach at the U.S. Military Academy. From 1984 until 1986 Taaffe served a successful stint as an Army's offensive coordinator. In his three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Cadets had a combined record of 23–13.
The Citadel
In 1987, Taaffe was hired as head coach of The Citadel. In 1992 he coached what was arguably the best in The Citadel's history, finishing 11–2 and was the top ranked team at the end of the regular season. The team however lost to Youngstown StateYoungstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
in the quarterfinals. For his efforts, Taaffe won the Eddie Robinson Award
Eddie Robinson Award
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The award was established by The Sports Network in 1987 and is voted upon by the division's sports information directors and selected sports writers...
. In 10 seasons at The Citadel, his overall record was 55–47–1, including six seasons of .500 or better and is the school's winningest head coach.
Taaffe was suspended by the school for the entire 1996 season after his second drunken-driven arrest in three years. Taaffe admitted to the police that he had four to six beers prior to driving Charlie Taaffe was acquitted of the charges on February 6, 1997 after prosecutors failed to prove that Taaffe was under the influence when he was stopped. It was the second time he had been cleared of drunken driving.
Montreal Alouettes
Taaffe was Offensive Coordinator of the CFL's Montreal AlouettesMontreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
from 1997 to 1998, helping the Als to a 25–10–1 record. In 1999 he became the team's head coach. With Taaffe at the helm, the Alouettes had a combined 25–14 record, including an appearance in the 2000 Grey Cup. For his efforts in 1999 and 2000, Taaffe won the Annis Stukus Trophy
Annis Stukus Trophy
The Annis Stukus Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, which is presented annually by the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Association to the Coach of the Year, as determined by the members of the Football Reporters of Canada...
as the CFL's Coach of the Year, making him only the second Montreal coach to win the award (Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
being the first in 1974) and the first coach in CFL history to earn the honor in each of his first two seasons.
While in Montreal, Taaffe's offenses put up some impressive numbers. In 2000, the Alouettes broke the CFL's all-time record for points in a regular season as they posted 594. Taaffe helped quarterback Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
to a 112.9 passer rating in 2000. Running back Mike Pringle also excelled in Taaffe's system, rushing for a league-best 1,656 yards in 1999.
Maryland
In 2001 Taaffe became Maryland's Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. In his first year, Taaffe was able to steer Maryland to 390 points (a then school record) and an average of 35.5 points per game. The Terps' 439.7 yards of total offense per game were the best in the ACCAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. Taaffe's option offense helped the team to an average of 220.7 yards per game on the ground, second-best in the league. Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
flourished at quarterback and was a second team All-ACC selection. In 2002, the Terps set a school record for points scored with 451 while finishing second in the ACC in rushing (198.8 ypg) and scoring (32.2 ppg) offense. Taaffe helped guide quarterback Scott McBrien
Scott McBrien
Scott McBrien is a former American football quarterback. He played football for several professional and college teams, most notably, the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, and the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.-Early years:McBrien was born in Rockville, Maryland to Ernie and...
to an honorable mention all-league performer and finished 12th nationally in pass efficiency.
At Maryland Taaffe's offense earned national respect with a balanced attack that beat opponents both on the ground and through the air. In 2004 he led the offense during the school's first-ever victory over Florida State, then ranked No. 5. A year earlier, Taaffe helped guide the Terps through injuries to finish the season ranked in the top 30 nationally in four offensive categories (rushing (24th), total offense (28th), scoring (27th) and pass efficiency (26th).
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
On December 15, 2006 Taaffe was hired as the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. With little talent to work with, Taaffe not surprisingly led the Tiger-Cats to a 3–15 record, with only one win against fellow Eastern Division teams. Despite Taaffe's offensive credentials, the Ti-Cats nearly 80 points fewer than any other team in the league. On September 8, 2008 the Tiger-Cats fired Taaffe and replaced him with offensive co-ordinator Marcel BellefeuilleMarcel Bellefeuille
Marcel Bellefeuille was a Canadian football head coach, most recently for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.-University of Ottawa:...
.
University of Central Florida
On January 5, 2009 the University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
hired Taaffe as Offensive Coordinator. UCF was in much needed help on offense after finishing the 2008 season
2008 UCF Knights football team
The 2008 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his fifth season with the team. For the second season, the UCF Knights played all of their home games at Bright House Networks...
ranked 119th on total offense and 115th in passing offense. Charlie also brought his son Brian Taaffe, a freshman quarterback transfer from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
.
Taaffe immediately went to work and the 2009
2009 UCF Knights football team
The 2009 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his sixth season with the team. Coaching changes included new offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe...
offense featured senior transfer quarterback Brett Hodges and a sophomore running-back Brynn Harvey. UCF posted a 8–5 record for the year, losing its bowl game, St. Petersburg Bowl
2009 St. Petersburg Bowl
The 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's, formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl, was the second edition of the college football bowl game and was played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game began at 8:00 PM US EST on Saturday, December 19, 2009, was...
, to Rutgers 24 to 45. Beginning the 2010 season
2010 UCF Knights football team
The 2010 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, who was in his seventh season with the team. For the first time in program history, the Knights were nationally ranked following a...
, UCF's offense featured a two-quarterback system, which junior Rob Calabrese and freshman Jeffrey Godfrey. Taaffe also devised a committee of running-backs for the Knights run-game, including Ronnie Weaver, Latavius Murray, and Jonathan Davis. Jeff Godfrey would eventually take over as the starter after an injury to Rob Calabrese early in the season. Taaffe would also develop a new offensive package known as the "Wild Knight." The new offensive package developed by Taaffe and the Knights continued defensive dominance led the Knights to their most successful season in program history. The Conference USA Championship game
2010 Conference USA Football Championship Game
The 2010 Conference USA Football Championship Game presented by HotelPlanner.com was played on December 4, 2010 at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, FL. The game was played between the UCF Knights, winner of Conference USA's East Division, and the SMU Mustangs, the winner the West...
featured a 17–7 win over the SMU Mustangs, earning UCF its second C-USA title, and earning the Knights an invite to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl
2010 Liberty Bowl (December)
The 2010 Liberty Bowl, also known as Autozone Liberty Bowl, was the fifty-second edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The game started at 3:30 PM US EST on December 31, 2010...
. The Knights would defeat SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
foe Georgia
2010 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2010 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in 2010. The Bulldogs competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference . This was the Georgia Bulldogs' tenth season for head coach Mark Richt...
10–6 in the Liberty Bowl, for the program's first ever bowl win. With the successful season, UCF was ranked in the final polls for the first time, No. 20 in the coaches poll, No. 21 in the AP poll, and No. 25 in the BCS poll.
Head coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | MTL 1999 Montreal Alouettes season The 1999 Montreal Alouettes finished in 1st place in the East Division for the first time since 1979 with a 12–6–0 record.-CFL Draft:-Preseason:-Season Standings:-Season Schedule:-Roster:-East Final:-1999 CFL All-Star Selections:... |
1999 1999 CFL season -1999 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Danny McManus , Hamilton Tiger-Cats*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Mike O'Shea , Toronto Argonauts*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Calvin Tiggle , Hamilton Tiger-Cats... |
12 | 6 | 0 | .666 | 1st in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in Division Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTL 2000 Montreal Alouettes season The 2000 Montreal Alouettes finished in 1st place in the East Division with a 12–6–0 record. They appeared in the Grey Cup for the first time since 1979, but lost to the BC Lions.-CFL Draft:-Preseason:... |
2000 2000 CFL season -2000 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Dave Dickenson , Calgary Stampeders*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Sean Millington , BC Lions*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Joe Montford , Hamilton Tiger-Cats... |
12 | 6 | 0 | .666 | 1st in East Division | 1 | 1 | Lost in Grey Cup 88th Grey Cup The 88th Grey Cup was held in 2000 in Calgary. The BC Lions won the game 28-26 over the Montreal Alouettes... |
||
| HAM 2007 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season The 2007 Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished in 4th place in the East Division with a 3–15–0 record and missed the playoffs.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:-Season schedule:- Passing:-Rushing:-Receiving:-Eastern Division All-Star Selections:... |
2007 2007 CFL season The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on... |
3 | 15 | 0 | .167 | 4th in East Division | – | – | Missed Playoffs | ||
| HAM 2008 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season The Hamilton Tiger-Cats attempted to win their 9th Grey Cup championship, but they failed to make the playoffs.-Jamacia Jackson:Ticats linebacker Jamacia Jackson died on April 16, 2008. Jackson was found unresponsive on Monday morning at a home in Sumter, South Carolina. He was later pronounced... |
2008 2007 CFL season The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on... |
2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 4th in East Division | – | – | Fired | ||
| Total | 29 | 35 | 0 | .453 | 2 East Division Championships |
1 | 2 | 0 Grey Cups | |||