The end in Tallahassee wasn’t pretty for Jimbo Fisher. For Willie Taggart, there’s applause and anticipation.
The FSU football Seminoles signed Willie Taggart to a 6-year/$30 million deal following Jimbo Fisher departure for Texas A&M. The 41-year-old Bradenton native left Oregon after one year to take over what he called “his dream job.”
@TrevorDeGroot: #FSU took the photo of Jimbo holding the BCS crystal off of the Doak scoreboard today. #Noles
Noles’ fans are ready for the change, too. Fisher didn’t leave Tallahassee on the best of terms. Consider the fact that FSU had removed Fisher’s photo at Doak Campbell Stadium–even before Taggart’s appointment was announced.
Taggart didn’t shy away from high expectations during his introductory press conference. “I know the last two coaches we’ve had here won a lot of ball games,” he said. “I’m looking forward to trying to win a lot of ball games like they did.” (Note: All of Taggart’s quotes here are taken from his introductory press conference.)
While Taggart knows the FSU roster is loaded with talent, he also recognizes that things need fixing. “This is not a rebuild,” Taggart asserted, “it’s more of a realignment to get it going again.”
Here’s my take on what needs to be addressed.
Will Taggart get Justin Fields? (photo, Orlando Sentinel)
The 2018 Recruiting Class: The 2018 recruiting class took a hit because of the turmoil associated with Fisher’s situation. As of December 13, the incoming class had fallen to 48th in the country (24/7 Sports).
Given that, Taggart highlighted the importance of targeting and signing key recruits prior to the new early college football signing date (December 20th). “I’m excited about the challenges in front of us and bringing players together for the same common challenge,” he said. Prominent on the radar screen is trying to sway several 5-star commits to FSU, including Ohio State commit, safety Jaiden Woodbey, and UGA commit, quarterback Justin Fields.
Will Leavitt leave Eugene for Tallahassee? (photo, The Register-Guard)
The Coaching Staff: Because culture change is a must, staff changes will happen. We already know that Jay Graham and Tim Brewster will follow Fisher to Texas A&M; Charles Kelly (DC) is interviewing for the Colorado State DC job; and Randy Sanders (OC) announced in October that he’ll not return. It’s highly unlikely that a fifth coach, Rick Trickett (O-line), will be retained. On the positive side, many FSU fans hope Odell Haggins (an outstanding D-line coach) will stay.
On the intake side, rumors are circulating that Jim Leavitt, former Oregon DC and USF coach, might leave Eugene to follow Taggart to Tallahassee. Current Canes’ WR coach, Ron Dugans, is rumored to be on Taggart’s get-list, too.
Offensive Approach: Fans complained often and loudly about Fisher’s inability to align the offense with his skill players. Fisher rejected speeding up plays, running more drag/underneath routes, and utilizing true-freshman James Blackman in a way that maximizes his dual-threat ability. To boot, every FSU quarterback who played for Fisher had difficulty learning the complex playbook. The result? In 2017 FSU ranked 92nd in passing yards, 84th in rushing yards, and was tied for 84th in points scored. Those aren’t championship numbers.
QB Deondre Francois needs to fly under Taggart (photo, Orlando Sentinel)
Taggart did much better at Oregon. Nationally, the Ducks finished eighth in rushing yards per game and 18th in points scored. How might those performances translate at FSU? “We want to score fast. And often. We like explosive plays,“ Taggart explained. “We don’t want to make it too complicated for our own players. We don’t want to confuse them.” Because Taggart calls his offensive strategy, “Lethal Simplicity.” That means key skill players, including Francois, Akers, Tate, and Murray, will need to perform.
What’s It All Mean?
Despite all the excitement, I think FSU fans will need to be patient. Yes, this is a talented team, but it finished the regular season at 6-6.
Miracles can happen, but culture change doesn’t happen overnight. Still, though, there’s always hope that the ‘Noles will be in the conversation about the 2018 College Football Playoff.
