Welcome to FSU, Coach Taggart!
Hey there ACC/Nole fans! After a few weeks’ hiatus, I’d like to introduce everyone to Florida State’s new Football Coaching Staff! This has been the discussion of the off-season so far for Noles across the globe. Who is Willie Taggart? What was his legacy before taking the head coaching gig at Florida State? Who is he bringing with him to Tallahassee? What can we expect for the future of Seminole’s football? Finally, where can I follow all the action?
Head Coach: Willie Taggart (Twitter Handle: @CoachTaggart)
Coaching History:
Western Kentucky (1999 – 2006) [WR Coach 1999, QB Coach 2000 – 2006, 2001-2006 Co-Offensive Coordinator, 2003-2006 Assistant Head Coach]
Stanford (2007 – 2009) RB Coach
Western Kentucky (2010 – 2012) Head Coach (16-20 W/L Record)
USF (2013-2016) Head Coach (24-25 W/L Record)
Oregon (2017) Head Coach (7-6 W/L Record)
Background: Don’t let the Overall W/L record fool you, Coach Taggart has a background of turning historically bad Football programs into world-beaters. in 2009 Western Kentucky had a record of 0-12. Western Kentucky in 2010 had a W/L record of 2-10. In 2012, they were competing in their conference at 7-5. In subsequent seasons, the Hilltoppers built upon their program and went 8-4 in 2013, 8-5 in 2014 and 12-2 in 2015. USF went 3-9 in 2012. In 2013 USF slipped to a 2-10 record. However, 2014 saw an improvement to 4-8, and then in 2015 went 8-5 and 2016 11-2. Oregon, in their one season with Taggart at helm, took a previously 4-8 Oregon team the season before to a 7-5 season (despite their starting QB taking an injury mid-season). Willie has a penchant for turning taking the strengths of the talent at his disposal and building their offensive and defensive schemes around this.
At Western Kentucky, Willie utilized the Pro-style scheme he developed under Harbaugh. At USF, their skill players called for a spread-attack coined the “Gulf Coast Offense”. These elements were retained during his time at Oregon, and likely will be adopted at Florida State (given the talent-rich roster at his disposal).
FSU fans should note the offensive scheme deployed in 2018. This isn’t your daddy’s Florida State squad.
The strength that drives the Taggart machine, however, aren’t just those of adjustment to the skill set of his roster, but the talent he brings in. Before leaving for FSU (his dream school), Taggart was on his way towards a historically strong recruiting class at Oregon, with the Oregon 2018 recruiting class ranked as high as No. 1 according to Scouts.com
The balance of building an identity at each stop he’s taken over, as well as the recruiting clout he’s developed over the years, means the Seminoles should be competing for top recruiting classes every cycle. While 2018 took a hit due to the departure of Jimbo Fisher, the class is still on-track towards developing into a top 15 collection nationally. No laughing matter given the short turn-around and early signing period limiting the impact of the coaching staff Taggart is putting together.
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach: Walt Bell (Twitter Handle: @coachwaltbell)
Offensive Line Coach: Greg Frey (Twitter Handle: @CoachFreyFSU)
Running Back Coach: Donte’ Pimpleton (Twitter Handle: @coach_pimp)
Tight End Coach: Telly Lockette (Twitter Handle: @TellyLockette)
Wide Receiver Coach: David Kelly (Twitter Handle: @coachdavidkelly)
Defensive Coordinator: Harlon Barnett (Twitter Handle: @HarlonBarnett)
Defensive Ends Coach: Mark Snyder (Twitter Handle: @coachmarksnyder)
Defensive Line Coach: Odell Haggins (Twitter Handle: @odellhaggins)
Linebacker Coach: Raymond Woodie (Twitter Handle: @CoachWoodie)
Special Teams Coach: Alonzo Hampton (Twitter Handle: @CoachAHampton)
Seminole Nation/ ACC Nation, to learn more about the new Coaches making their way to Florida State, please see hyperlinked staff directories above (which you may also refer to here). Also, to stay up-to-date on all positional interactions, you may refer to the twitter handles above.
Shout-out to the following sources utilized in this post:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/willie-taggart-1.html
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