CINCINNATI - As the cameras clicked, Dave Miley slipped into his home jersey for the first time since the end of the season.

''Still fits,'' he said.

After 24 years in the Cincinnati Reds organization, Miley will get another chance to prove he's still a good fit for where they're headed.

The Reds ended a prolonged manager search Thursday by deciding to keep Miley, 41, who took over for the last two months of the 2003 season after Bob Boone was fired.

The front office interviewed other candidates, then offered Miley a one-year deal with a club option for a second season. In effect, he gets one more chance to show what he can do.

It's the one chance he's always wanted.

''To be in the same organization as long as I have and to get this opportunity is really beyond words,'' Miley said.

Former White Sox manager Jerry Manuel, Pittsburgh director of player development Brian Graham and Tampa Bay bench coach John McLaren also were interviewed, and the front office took its time coming to a decision.

The delay became a major topic among Reds fans and left the candidates waiting anxiously.

''I joked to somebody that on Thanksgiving, I ate a lot of turkey and I think halfway through the day I'd paced it all off,'' Miley said.

He was called in Thursday for a meeting with owner Carl Lindner, and the club set up a news conference for 9 p.m. EST - a late hour for such an announcement.

Miley didn't mind.

''It could have been at midnight and I'd be standing here,'' he said.

The Reds were the last major league team to fill a managing vacancy. The Boston Red Sox introduced Terry Francona as their manager earlier Thursday.

Miley's predecessor had much more security. Boone replaced Jack McKeon following the 2000 season and received a two-year deal with an option for a third year that the club eventually exercised.

General manager Dan O'Brien, who was hired on Oct. 27, wants to get to know Miley better before making a longer commitment.

''While we felt that Dave was the right person for the job, we felt we needed a period for both he and I to get better acquainted, and that was really the basis for going more on a short-term than a long-term focus,'' O'Brien said. ''But I think Dave understands that we made this decision because we want him to be manager of the Cincinnati Reds for a long time.''

He has never wanted to be anything other than a part of the Reds organization. The former catcher signed with the Reds in 1980 and played in seven minor league seasons before deciding to coach.

Miley finally made it to the majors in 1993 as the bench coach for Tony Perez, who was fired only 44 games into the season. Miley returned to the minors after that season.

He impressed the front office by winning at the Triple-A level and remaining committed to the franchise. One year, he told the team to pay him whatever it thought he deserved to stay on as a minor league manager. When general manager Jim Bowden and Boone were fired on July 28, Miley got the chance to finish the season as the interim manager. As soon as he arrived, the front office started trading stars to slash payroll and acquire pitching prospects.

The Reds went 22-35 under Miley, who had most of his starters either traded or hurt while he was in charge. He was hoping to get a chance to manage the team at full strength for an entire season.

''That's probably the thing that I'm most looking forward to,'' Miley said.

Players were impressed by how Miley handled a turbulent time, and longtime Reds were glad he got rewarded for his loyalty.

''Twenty-four years. He deserves it,'' said former Reds player and coach Ron Oester, who was a candidate for the job when Boone was picked. ''They did the right thing. He's the right guy for the job.''