Report: Willie Taggart ‘very interested’ in returning as head coach at USF
Willie Taggart was hired by Florida State after he enjoyed great success as the head coach at South Florida, but things did not work out with the Seminoles. Now, he may be looking to get his old job back.
Taggart, who was fired by Florida State earlier this month in the middle of ust his second season with the team, is interested in returning as the head coach at USF, according to Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times.
Now that it's official, I'll share this: I have learned Willie Taggart is very interested in returning to #USF should the opportunity arise. Uncomfortable spot for him because he's very close with Charlie Strong, but he loves Tampa.
— Joey Knight (@TBTimes_Bulls) December 1, 2019
USF fired head coach Charlie Strong earlier Sunday following a disappointing 4-8 season. Strong went 10-2 in his first season with the Bulls, but that was after Taggart led the team to a 10-2 record the year before. The further USF got from the Taggart era, the worse the program got. They lost 14 of their last 18 games under Strong.
With that in mind, it would not be a surprise if USF was interested in bringing Taggart back. Taggart is going to collect a massive buyout from Florida State, so he may not mind taking slightly less in a place where he is comfortable and has recruited before.
Taggart improved in each of his four seasons at USF, winning just four games in his first and going 10-2 before he left to take the Oregon head coaching job following the 2016 season. He spent just one year at Oregon before being hired by Florida State.
