Monday, August 27, 2018

College Football New Head Coaches Preview: Willie Taggart, Florida State

Willie Taggart, Florida State
The proverbial son returns, as Taggart gets his dream job with FSU. A lifelong fan, Taggart could not say no to the Seminoles, despite only having been at Oregon for one season when the call came. The Bradenton native is known as a program builder. He has taken over jobs where he found programs in the sewer (Western Kentucky, USF) and turned them into big time winners inside of 5 years. Florida State has a better cupboard than he found those jobs to have had, so this should not be as much a stretch.
Taggart took WKU from a 2-10 team in his first season, to a 7 win team in years 2 and 3, with a bowl trip in year 3. He took USF from a 2 win team in his first year in Tampa, to a 4 win team in year 2, and an 8 win team in year 3. USF won 10 games in his final season there.
Oregon had won 4 games the year before Taggart arrived in Eugene, and the took them to 7 wins and a bowl game in his lone season with the Ducks.
His overall record is just 46-50, but when you look at the ability to program build, which he has had to do at 2 of 3 previous jobs, he is the master at taking a team from being a dumpster fire to becoming a model of consistency and improvement.
There is absolutely zero reason to believe that Taggart cannot compete and win big with the resources he will have at FSU.
The Seminoles open September 8th against Samford, and a win is in order.

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