Florida State had it made under Bobby Bowden. They were ACC champions year after year and played for the national title just about every year in the 90’s, winning two of them. Then Jimbo Fisher won a national title (2013) and continued the success coach Bowden did, at least for a short time. Now comes Willie Author Taggart, a former quarterback himself from Western Kentucky, is the new head man in Tallahassee.
You can trace coach Taggart’s coaching record from three places: Western Kentucky (Alma Mater), South Florida, and Oregon. At each stop during his young career, his team made significant improvement in the second and third season. For example, check out his records at Western Kentucky and South Florida:
- Western Kentucky- 2010 Season (2-10). 2011 Season (7-5). 2012 Season (7-5).
- South Florida – 2013 season (2-10). 2014 season (4-8). 2015 (8-5). 2016 season (10-2).
He coached Oregon in the 2017 season and went 7-5, then he headed to Tallahassee. Some critics believed he jumped ship too soon, considering the task he had at Oregon was manageable. And that he had the tools to make Oregon something special. Yet, Taggart had his eyes on a bigger prize- FSU. How could he pass up this opportunity? Well, he didn’t. But can he continue the winning ways at FSU while playing in the ACC?
The conference is no longer considered a “basketball conference” anymore and continues to get better and better. Right out of the gate the Noles will be tested by playing Virginia Tech on Labor Day night, then add a Clemson team that seems to be playing at an elite level and their usual rivalry games against Miami and Florida-Taggart will have his hands full.
Another item worth mentioning is that coach Taggart want his teams to be passionate about suiting up in a Nole uniform. He wants his players to remember the guys that have come before them and soak up what it means to be a Florida State Seminole. Coach Taggart has reached out to former players like Deion Sanders and Charlie Ward, players who made a huge impact while playing for the Seminoles, to speak to his players and give them the motivation to be all that they can be. “I’m challenging each of our position guys to go back and learn from the guys that played here, read up on the guys that played here at your position and then work your tail off to be one of those guys,” .
Willie Taggart’s mission is clear: keep the winning tradition going. Taggart doesn’t have to fill in Bobby Bowden’s shoes or carry the torch from Jimbo Fisher, he just needs make FSU a contender. Keep it simple- recruit well and coach them up. And he has the support of the alumni, former coaches and players, and the fans. It’s a simple formula and one that should keep Florida St. in national contention for years to come.
JDubb's Sideline Report 