Oregon hires USF’s Taggart as head coach

Oregon named USF coach Willie Taggart as its next head football coach.

The move was first reported by ESPN’s Brett McMurphy on Wednesday morning.

“We are thrilled to welcome Willie, his wife, Taneshia, their sons Willie Jr. and Jackson, and their daughter, Morgan,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in a statement. “Willie places an emphasis on ensuring a positive student-athlete experience and on winning . ... We have a very bright future under his leadership.”

Taggart said: “Oregon has a strong national presence and a proud recent history of playing among the nation’s elite, and I look forward to the challenge of upholding the excellence. I can’t wait to get started.”

Taggart, 40, is coming off his best season at USF, where he led the Bulls to their first 10-win season and a berth in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29 against South Carolina.

T.J. Weist, one of the Bulls’ co-offensive coordinators, will be the interim football coach for the rest of the 2016 season.

During his four seasons in Tampa, Taggart amassed a 24-25 record at the school. Before South Florida, he spent three seasons as the head coach at Western Kentucky, where he went 16-20. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh.

Oregon fired Mark Helfrich on Nov. 29 after a 4-8 season.