Oregon Football: Don’t judge Willie Taggart on poor first impression

The Willie Taggart era has gotten off to a rough start in Oregon, and Ducks fans are hoping this is not a sign of things to come in Eugene.

Willie Taggart worked his entire life for this opportunity. On December 7, 2016, Taggart was named the 33^rd head coach of the Oregon Ducks, replacing Mark Helfrich, who was first Ducks head coach to be fired in the last 40 years. Helfrich led the Ducks to the BCS National Championship Game in 2014, but his reign as the head coach came to an end after the Ducks suffered through their worst record (4-8) in the last 25 years. For Taggart, he is taking over a program with incredibly high expectations, and his first six weeks on the job could not have gone worse.

The Oregon Ducks football program has been synonymous with winning, playing in two National Championship games since 2011. Not only are the Ducks a national brand, but a national brand actually came from Oregon, as former track and field athlete Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman founded Nike back in 1964. Winning games is extremely important in Oregon, but winning big games is the ultimate goal for the program, which is a responsibility that now falls on Taggart’s shoulder.

For Taggart, his journey as a football coach came after his playing days at Western Kentucky, where he was a four-year start at quarterback for the Hilltoppers. Taggart was recruited to the school by Jim Harbaugh, as his father, Jack was the head coach of the team then. Taggart is one of four players to have his jersey retired by the school, and when his playing days were over, he joined Harbaugh’s staff as a wide receiver coach.

Taggart spent eight years as an assistant for the Hilltoppers before moving on to join Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Stanford. From there, Taggart earned his first head coaching job at Western Kentucky where he was tasked to bring the program back from the dead. Taggart did just that, breaking the school’s 26-game losing streak, and making them bowl eligible in his third season at the helm.

Despite the fact that he led the Hilltoppers to a bowl game, Taggart did not coach in the game, as he had already taken the job at the University of South Florida. A Tampa native, Taggart was going home to coach the Bulls, though he would struggle from the start. The Bulls went 2-10 in his first season with the team, but by the time he was done with the program, they won a share of the ACC East Division. Last season, South Florida went 10-2 under Taggart, the program’s first double-digit win season, which was enough for Oregon to come calling for the 40-year old head coach.

While being the head coach of South Florida is an incredible accomplishment, taking over the reigns at a program like Oregon is on another level. When Chip Kelly left Oregon for the NFL, he handed the program over to Helfrich in seemingly great shape, though a NCAA investigation into Kelly’s recruiting yielded a three-year probation period and a reduction in scholarships. Still, Helfrich had quarterback Marcus Mariota to lean on, and by his second year as head coach, the Ducks were back in the National Championship Game.

In 2015, Mariota headed to the NFL, and the Ducks were left with question marks all over their roster. The defense was atrocious, and by the end of the season, the Ducks were ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll. The 2016 saw the Ducks race out to a 2-0 record, only to see them lose five straight in what would become the worst season of the last 25 years for the program. Helfrich’s time was up, and the program ushered in a new era with the signing of Taggart.

Taggart’s press conference brought incredible excitement back into the program, as he talked about bringing the Ducks back to the top of the college football landscape. That was on Dec. 7, 2016, and it appeared Taggart was the right hire by Athletic Director Rob Mullens. By January, the Ducks were back in the headlines for the wrong reasons, with Taggart and his staff making a rough first impression only six weeks into the new job.

The first incident came in mid-January, as the program had to suspend strength and conditioning coach Irele Oderinde without pay for a month due to three players being hospitalized due to some grueling workouts. The workouts were said to be like military basic training, with players doing push-ups and up-downs for an hour straight. As a result, the program changed its system of reporting, with the coach now answering to the Ducks’ director of performance and sports science, and not Taggart.

A few days later, the second black eye, as another member of Taggart’s staff embarrassed the program. David Reaves, who had served as assistant head coach under Taggart at South Florida, was arrested for driving under the influence, and was quickly fired by the university. Reaves had officially been hired just a few days prior, and was expected to be the team’s co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for the upcoming season.

While Taggart did not participate in either of these instances, they happened under his watch. As the head football coach, you are held responsible for everything your staff, and players do on, and off the field. It has certainly not been the kind of impression Taggart was hoping to make in his first month and a half on the job, but it also is not going to shape the impact that he makes on the program.

Throughout his coaching career, Taggart has proven that he can turn a program around, and that should be no different in Eugene. Though he is taking over a recruiting class that will be the lowest-ranked in the last 11 years if nothing changes, he has already gotten players to change their commitments and follow him to Oregon. Taggart is a good man, and a good football coach, and all indications are that he is going to get the best out of his players.

While Taggart is certain to be able to improve on the state in which he is being given the program, do not expect it to happen overnight. The Pac-12 North Division is loaded with talent, especially in Washington, where Jake Browning is returning for his junior season. Washington State and Stanford also have a ton of talent returning, and Oregon finished in the cellar during the 2016 season.

It is not all gloom for the Ducks, as the 2016 season did yield some positives. Freshman quarterback Justin Herbert emerged as a legitimate starter for the team, and could be the best signal-caller the program has seen since Mariota left. Herbert replaced Dakota Prukop and threw for 19 touchdowns against only four interceptions as a true freshman, while leading the Ducks to a huge victory over No. 12 Utah on the road late in the season. Aside from Herbert, senior running back Royce Freeman will return to Eugene, giving the Ducks two star players on the offensive side of the ball.

Next: College Football's Top 15 Tailgating Venues

Based on his track record, Taggart has gone into tough situations and come out on top during his coaching career. He has the kind of mindset that can see the big picture, and if the program gives him enough time to do so, the Ducks will be back in the national picture once again. He has never had the kind of resources he will have at Oregon, and with his ability to recruit, the Ducks are in good hands with Taggart leading the way into the next era of their program.