FSU knocks down report it wanted a Taggart buyout
Officials defend coach after story says boosters would help pay the tab
Florida State officials have defended coach Willie Taggart after reports the school is asking boosters to help fund his buyout.
Online criticism of Taggart has intensified after the Seminoles fell 22-20 at improved Wake Forest on Saturday, with the Seminoles making several mistakes in the final three minutes that cost them a chance to win the game. During his second season leading FSU, Taggart has posted an 8-11 record.
FootballScoop.com reported Monday night that Florida State has “engaged its donor class” to help fund Taggart’s $17 million buyout, promising the school would work aggressively to get back on track by targeting retired coach Urban Meyer.
In a podcast, 247Sports.com reporter Josh Newberg also stated FSU was exploring its options for buying out Taggart’s contract, and school officials had spoken with Taggart’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, about negotiating an exit agreement.
FSU denied those reports. “For the record, we have not been in contact with our coach’s agent, period,” FSU athletics director David Coburn told the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday.
It seems unlikely Meyer would be amenable to taking over at Florida State even though he is not
known for sticking with retirement plans. Meyer has been working to reconnect with the Florida Gators after many were irked by his hasty departure from UF amid program adversity and his decision to take over the surging Ohio State football program a year later.
Meyer won two national titles at Florida and another one at Ohio State. He has reiterated he plans to remain a college football analyst after he was linked to high-profile jobs following his retirement from Ohio State.
Coburn knocked down the suggestion the Seminoles would target the coach who once led their biggest rival.
“If [Taggart] were hit by a bus tomorrow, we would not target coach Meyer, period. I say that with all due respect to coach Meyer, but we would not target Steve Spurrier, either,” Coburn told the Democrat.
Taggart has been under fire since FSU missed a bowl last season for the first time since 1981, snapping the nation’s longest active bowl streak.
At the end of the season, a fan posted an image suggesting Taggart should be lynched. The incident was investigated by authorities, and the person was fired from his job.
Earlier this year, another fan and his son set up a lemonade stand to raise money for Taggart’s buyout. The fan said it was a joke, and he was teaching his son he had to take action rather than just complaining about something that upset him.
While many other FSU fans were rattled by the suggestion they would be so intolerant and inspire a child to set up a lemonade stand to fund Taggart’s buyout, urging support for the program, attendance has plummeted this season.
FSU played in front of an announced crowd of 46,530 on Sept. 21, the smallest home crowd since 1983. The drop in attendance has hindered Tallahassee businesses accustomed to drawing large crowds on game-day weekends.
Taggart has insisted fans are right to expect high expectations from a program that has won ACC and national titles. He said the Seminoles’ best response will be to win.
The school hopes fans will get behind the Seminoles (3-4, 2-3 ACC), who will host Syracuse (3-4, 0-3 ACC) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in a key game that could help determine FSU’s chances of earning a bowl bid.
“We just need to focus on winning football games, and our fans need to focus on coming out and supporting this team,” Coburn told the Democrat.