With Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher rumored to take the Texas A&M job, Florida State is eying Oregon’s Willie Taggart should the position open.
Florida State hopes for the best but has begun preparing for the worst. The Seminoles have begun vetting potential Jimbo Fisher replacements after Fisher has refused to speak about the situation. Fisher’s left both Texas A&M and Florida State officials in the dark, with the country eyeing the situation closely. However, FSU is not sweating the situation, they’re preparing for Fisher’s departure. Among the names being vetted; Oregon’s Willie Taggart, according to USA Today’s Dan Wolken.
While Fisher has been linked to Texas A&M after they fired Kevin Sumlin and the Board of Regents are meeting on Thursday to discuss how much they can afford to pay a new football coach, Florida State is not waiting to find out what Fisher decides.
Despite spending just one season in Eugene after leaving South Florida, Taggart was initially linked to the Florida job which has since gone to Dan Mullen. Taggart has a reputation for turning programs around which he did at Western Kentucky before South Florida. Taggart began his head coaching career at Western Kentucky, where he finished his first season 2-10. By the time he departed, Western Kentucky had finished 7-5 for two consecutive years. Furthermore, he transformed a 2-10 South Florida team into a 10-2 team in just four short years before departing for Oregon after they fired Mark Helfrich.
The 41-year-old former college quarterback is incredibly familiar with the Florida recruiting system, as well. After growing up in Florida and spending four years at USF, Taggart knows the territory, making him a quality replacement should Fisher leave for A&M.
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Even though he’s only spent one season with the Ducks, they showed promise on the field, especially when Justin Herbert was healthy. When he was healthy, the Ducks had one of the more prolific offenses in the country, averaging more than 50 points per game in those contests.
Florida State officials hope he can turn do that for Florida State if Fisher leaves for College Station. Florida State has struggled this season, accumulating a 5-6 record with one game remaining they need to win to get eligible for a bowl to extend the nation’s longest bowl streak. There’s no telling whether Fisher leaves, but if he does, and it seems there’s a strong chance he will, the Seminoles seem to be ready to pounce on Taggart.
Oregon isn’t ready to let Taggart go though after just one season and is prepared to offer him a new five-year deal worth $20 million, according to Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples.
The proverbial ball appears to be in the court of Taggar who may find himself with a new deal and a raise because Oregon was concerned he may take a job that is currently still filled.