On the afternoon of Nov. 3, Florida State fired head coach Willie Taggart. This came as a surprise due to the extremely high contract buyout and being that it’s midseason.
Taggart’s performance is undoubtedly fire worthy, but most fans didn’t see it happening this early. The fan base has been at Taggart’s throat since his second game at FSU, a game the Seminoles had to force overtime to beat Samford, a team that’s perceived as a cupcake. Things didn’t get any better for the Seminoles throughout the year, but hopes were high in the offseason after hiring offensive prodigy Kendall Briles.
The Noles opened up the 2019 season against a tough Boise State team and jumped out to a three touchdown lead, only to blow the game in the second half. They followed that performance by another overtime thriller against Louisiana Monroe, another significantly inferior opponent. They took a 4-4 record into last week’s rivalry game against Miami. The game was in Tallahasee, and the Seminoles were favored. They got routed from start to finish, and that was it for the boosters. They donated $20 million to contribute to Taggart’s buyout.
The job is open, and it’s a highly coveted one. There is talk of Big Game Bob Stoops bailing on the XFL job in Dallas and continuing his college football coaching legacy with the Seminoles. Stoops wouldn’t have any problem getting elite talent in Florida as FSU’s brand sells itself and Stoops’s coaching resume speaks for itself. The level of talent in the state combined with Stoops’s ability to generate NFL caliber talent should make for a lot of five stars.
Other names that have been mentioned for the job are Matt Rhule, head coach at Baylor, and PJ Fleck, Minnesota head coach.
