FSU fires Taggart after 21 games
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State fired second-year football coach Willie Taggart on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the Seminoles lost to rival Miami and with the team in danger of missing a bowl game for the second consecutive season.
Taggart was 9-12 at Florida State, which won the national title in 2013 and has been in a freefall for the past three seasons. The Seminoles have not been ranked this season, are 0-5 against rivals Miami, Florida and Clemson under Taggart and attendance for games at Doak Campbell Stadium has plummeted.
“We had no choice but to make a change,” Florida State President John Thrasher said.
The school said longtime Florida State assistant Odell Haggins has been asked to take over as interim coach for the remainder of the season. Haggins was 2-0 as the interim in 2017, after Jimbo Fisher left Florida State for Texas A&M in December.
“We still have a lot of faith,” Florida State linebacker Emmett Rice said Saturday. “We have a lot to play for. It’s not over just because we lost to Miami.”
For Taggart, it is over. He will receive a large payday as Florida State owes him a $17 million buyout as part of the letter of agreement he signed in Dec. 2017.
“Obviously, I am disappointed in the decision today as I believe our future is bright and Florida State,” Taggart said in a statement posted on Twitter. “Building a program and a culture takes time and I regret that we will not have the opportunity to continue to coach these incredible young men.”
Florida State (4-5) plays at Boston College (5-4) on Saturday, and needs to win two of its final three to become bowl eligible. The Seminoles finish the regular season against FCS foe Alabama State and then play at No. 10 Florida.
Taggart is 56-62 as a head coach. He went 16-20 at Western Kentucky, 24-25 at South Florida and 7-5 in his lone season at Oregon.