Willie Taggart lands head coach job at FSU
Florida native leaves Oregon after only one season to replace Jimbo Fisher as 10th coach in Florida State football history.
The Palmetto native is leaving Oregon after one season to step into the shoes of Jimbo Fisher, who departed for Texas A&M.
After a speedy courtship and contract negotiation, Willie Taggart will become the 10th head foot
ball coach at Florida State University. Taggart’s hiring comes less than a week after former head coach Jimbo Fisher resigned to take the same position at Texas A&M. Even before the news of Fisher’s departure broke, FSU had been vetting candidates to fill the spot. It became obvious last week that
the Seminoles had their sights set on Oregon’s 41-year-old head coach, who told his players he was leaving during a team meeting Tuesday.
The Palmetto native comes to FSU with eight years of head coaching experience and a 47-50 overall record, including 7-5 in his only season at Oregon. He turned around floundering programs at Western Kentucky and South Flor
ida before being hired by the Ducks in December 2016.
A press confere nce to officially announce the hire will take place today in Tallahassee.
Taggart’s salary is expected to be
Cristobal, however, has been named interim coach for the Ducks’ bowl game. Oregon plays Boise State approximately $5 million in the Las Vegas Bowl on per year. Dec. 16.
The new coaching staff will Taggart’s football career have to hit the ground run- started at Bradenton Manning in recruiting. For the atee High School, where he first time in history, there’s threw for over 3,000 yards an early signing period that in his two seasons as starter. begins Dec. 20. He went on to become a star
Florida State’s recruiting quarterback at Western Kenclass had dropped from a top tucky before getting his first 10 ranking to No. 40 with all coaching opportunity with the Fisher uncertainty, but the Hilltoppers in 1999. several FSU commits told After eight seasons as an warchant.com on Tuesday offensive assistant with Westthat they were happy to see ern Kentucky, he was hired Taggart coming aboard. by Jim Harbaugh at Stanford
“I’m very excited and cer- to coach running backs. After tain 100 percent to FSU,” said three seasons with the Cardioutside linebacker Amari nal, he returned to WKU as Gainer of Tallahassee Chiles the Hilltoppers’ head coach High School. “My biggest priin 2010. ority is meeting with Coach His overall win-loss record Taggart and seeing how I as a head coach isn’t impreswould be used.” sive, but Taggart took over
Warner Robins (Ga.) offen- struggling programs at both sive lineman Christian Arm- WKU and South Florida. The strong said he had a great Hilltoppers were 0-12 the feeling about the hire. year before his arrival, but
“It’s very reassuring for went 7-5 in his final two seame and he’s a great coach sons. At South Florida, the and recruiter and will put Bulls had a 3-9 record in 2012 together a great staff,” he under Skip Holtz, the year said. before his arrival. After two
Taggart is expected to rebuilding years, the Bulls bring some of his current went 8-5 and 10-2 in Tagstaff with him to Tallahassee. gart’s final two seasons. That could include well-reTaggart will have enorgarded offensive line coach mous shoes to fill in TallaMario Cristobal and defen- hassee. Florida State’s last sive coordinator/lineback- two head coaches — Bobby ers coach Jim Leavitt. All Bowden and Jimbo Fisher — three have strong ties to the combined to win 15 conferstate. Leavitt is a former head ence championships, three coach at South Florida and national championships and Cristobal is a Miami native had 23 10-win seasons. and former head coach at
Florida International as well as a former Hurricanes player and assistant coach.