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Pac-12 Football 2017 preview

By Brad Weiss

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 02: Washington Huskies revel in the celebration during the Pac-12 Championship game between the Washington Huskies verses the Colorado Buffaloes on December 2, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 02: Washington Huskies revel in the celebration during the Pac-12 Championship game between the Washington Huskies verses the Colorado Buffaloes on December 2, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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HOLLYWOOD, CA – JULY 27: Head coach Willie Taggart of the Oregon Ducks speaks to the media during PAC12 Media Days on July 27, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JULY 27: Head coach Willie Taggart of the Oregon Ducks speaks to the media during PAC12 Media Days on July 27, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

Coach of the Year: Willie Taggart, Oregon

The next stop on the Willie Taggart coaching train is Eugene, Oregon, where he returns to the Pac-12. A former quarterback for Western Kentucky under Jack Harbaugh, Taggart began his coaching career at his alma mater under Harbaugh. He then went to Stanford, coaching with Jim Harbaugh, before returning to Western Kentucky to take over the program.

At Western Kentucky, Taggart ended a 26-game losing streak at the school, and built them up into a bowl-eligible program. Taggart left Western Kentucky for the University of South Florida, where he once again built the program into a winner. In his final season at the school, Taggart led them to the only double-digit win season in program history, finishing with a share of the AAC East Division.

This past offseason, Taggart replaced the fired Mark Helfrich at Oregon, and he is certainly going to make a difference. This is the biggest program he has been the head coach of, and is a master recruiter. The program is definitely in good hands with Taggart, who should ride his workhorse running back, Royce Freeman, to a much-improved season in 2017.

The Ducks finished the 2016 campaign with a 4-8 record, which included an embarassing loss on the road against rival Oregon State to end the year. The team had high hopes going into the season, and while the record was poor, they did have a few bright spots. One big one is quarterback Justin Herbert, who played very well after taking over for Dakota Prukop during the regular season.

Taggart has turned every program he has been at into a winner, and with the added resources of an Oregon, he may reach that next echelon of college coaches. The Ducks open up their 2017 season with two home games, as they host Southern Utah and Nebraska.

Their Pac-12 opener against Stanford will be a good barometer as to where the team is, and if they get on a roll, this Ducks squad could definitely be a double-digit win team. A six-game improvement could be what Taggart needs to take home Coach of the Year honors.