Willie Taggart facts for kids
Taggart at a press conference at Florida State in 2017
|
|
| Baltimore Ravens | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running backs coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 27, 1976 Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College: | Western Kentucky |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | NCAA: 71–80 (.470) |
| Postseason: | NCAA: 0–2 (.000) |
| Career: | NCAA: 71–82 (.464) |
Willie Taggart, born on August 27, 1976, is an American football coach. He is currently the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, Coach Taggart was a head coach for five different college football teams. These teams were Western Kentucky, South Florida, Oregon, Florida State, and Florida Atlantic. He made history at all five schools as the first African-American head coach.
Contents
Willie Taggart's Playing Days
Willie Taggart was a talented football player before he became a coach. He played as a quarterback.
High School Football Star
Taggart was a standout player at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida. As a senior, he was chosen for the all-state and all-conference teams. He led his team, the Hurricanes, to the state championship game. During his junior year, he helped them win the state title. Over two years, his team had an amazing 26-4 record. He gained over 3,000 yards passing and 975 yards running the ball.
College Football Career
After high school, Taggart became a star quarterback at Western Kentucky University (WKU). He played for the WKU Hilltoppers from 1995 to 1998. He was one of only three WKU players in 50 years to start as quarterback for four years. His jersey number was even retired, a big honor!
In his last two college seasons, he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award. This award goes to the best offensive player in I-AA football. He finished fourth in 1997 and seventh in 1998. As a senior, he was named an All-American. He was also the I-AA Independents’ Offensive Player of the Year in 1998. Jim Harbaugh recruited Taggart to play for his father, Jack Harbaugh, at WKU.
Willie Taggart's Coaching Journey
After his playing career, Willie Taggart started coaching. He has coached at both college and professional levels.
Starting as a Coach
After graduating from WKU in 1998, Taggart stayed at the school as an assistant coach until 2006. He was a co-offensive coordinator under Jack Harbaugh. They won the Division I-AA national championship in 2002. He also worked with Jack's son, Jim Harbaugh, who was an unpaid assistant coach.
In 2007, Jim Harbaugh became the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal football team. He hired Taggart as his running backs coach. Taggart helped develop Toby Gerhart into a star player. Gerhart even won the Doak Walker Award. Taggart also helped recruit players from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and California.
Western Kentucky Head Coach (2010–2012)
In 2010, Taggart returned to his old school, Western Kentucky, as the head football coach. In his first year, the Hilltoppers ended a long 26-game losing streak. They finished the season with a 2–10 record.
In 2011, Taggart led WKU to a 7–5 season. They started 0–4 but then won 7 of their last 8 games. Even with a winning record, they didn't get invited to a bowl game that year. In 2012, WKU again had a 7–5 record, making them eligible for a bowl game. They were invited to play Central Michigan in the Little Caesars Bowl. However, Taggart did not coach in this game. He had already accepted a new job.
South Florida Head Coach (2013–2016)
On December 7, 2012, Taggart became the head coach at the University of South Florida. This was in his home area of Tampa Bay.
In his first year, the Bulls had a 2–10 season. The next year, they improved to a 4–8 record. Taggart made some changes to his coaching staff. These changes, along with new players, brought more energy to the team.
In 2015, the Bulls, led by quarterback Quinton Flowers and running back Marlon Mack, started 1–3. But they finished the regular season with an 8–5 record. This earned them a spot in a bowl game for the first time in five years. They played against WKU in the Miami Beach Bowl and lost.
In 2016, the Bulls had an amazing 10–2 season. They also won a share of the AAC East division title. This was the first time in school history that the Bulls won ten games in a season.
Oregon Head Coach (2017)
On December 7, 2016, the University of Oregon announced Taggart as their new head coach. He replaced Mark Helfrich.
In January 2017, some Oregon football players were hospitalized after very tough workouts. Coach Taggart visited the players and apologized. He said he was responsible for all football activities and that player safety was most important. He also said he had talked to the strength and conditioning staff.
Taggart's hiring at Oregon was important because it highlighted the small number of African American head coaches in major college football. Oregon had a law that required state-funded schools to interview qualified minority candidates for top coaching jobs.
In 2017, Oregon finished with a 7-5 record overall and 4-5 in their conference. They beat Nebraska, Arizona, and rival Oregon State. They lost to UCLA, Stanford, and Washington State. They also had a big loss to Washington. Taggart left Oregon before their bowl game to take a new job.
Florida State Head Coach (2018–2019)
On December 5, 2017, Taggart accepted the head coaching job at Florida State. He replaced Jimbo Fisher. In his first season, the Seminoles finished 5-7. This was their first losing season since 1976. They also missed a bowl game for the first time since 1981, ending a very long streak. Many fans wanted Taggart fired, but the school leaders supported him.
After a 4-5 start to the 2019 season, Taggart was fired in November 2019. Florida State had to pay a large amount of money to end his contract.
Florida Atlantic Head Coach (2020–2022)
On December 11, 2019, Florida Atlantic University hired Taggart as their next head coach. He signed a 5-year contract. On November 26, 2022, Florida Atlantic fired Taggart after a close overtime loss to Western Kentucky. During his time with the Owls, Taggart only coached in one bowl game, which they lost.
Baltimore Ravens (2023–Present)
On February 22, 2023, Willie Taggart was hired as the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens. He continues in this role today.
Willie Taggart's Family Life
Willie Taggart is married to Taneshia. They have two sons, Willie Jr. and Jackson, and one daughter, Morgan.
Images for kids
-
Taggart at a press conference at Florida State in 2017
-
Taggart with the Green Garter Band
