OT - Oregon To Hire USF's Willie Taggart
USF’s Willie Taggart will be named Oregon’s coach, a source told @ESPN
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 7, 2016
Sounds like it came down to Taggart and Dan Mullen, but I really like this hire. Taggart is an up and coming coach who's had success at every stop. He's adjusted to the players on the roster and not tried to do too much at once. Hopefully he can get Oregon headed back in the right direction.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:23 AM ^
This is a great hire by Oregon (and Dan Mullen strikes me as being a bit past his coaching-freshness date; a good coach, but not the marquee hire he would have been a couple of years ago). I don't really care that much whether the Ducks are successful, since I view them as Nike's showroom first and a football program second. Plus that crest in the middle of Autzen? Yeesh.
As the OP notes, this is good for Oregon football, which is fine by me. It's also a great move for Taggart, so all-in-all a nice story.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:38 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 8:06 AM ^
and quite relieved given EM has more football knowledge than I do.
December 7th, 2016 at 8:24 AM ^
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December 7th, 2016 at 9:58 AM ^
How's life, TheGhostOfYost?
December 7th, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
Then favor us with your informed views on the Taggart hire.
Opinions—it's what a blog is for.
December 7th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
Nobody likes regifting, bad-joke-telling dentists. That's right, I'm anti-dentite and proud of it.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:51 PM ^
A little prickly today, aren't we. Probably haven't gotten some in a while.
December 7th, 2016 at 9:23 AM ^
good hire and a very good coach. But, don't really care to see Oregon have success. It's just a science experiment for Phil and Nike and I have come to hate that school.
December 7th, 2016 at 10:48 AM ^
Apparently Harbaugh recommended him to Oregon as well.
Willie Taggart had 3 key recommendations for Oregon job: Tony Dungy, Jim Harbaugh & Oliver Luck
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 7, 2016
December 7th, 2016 at 7:24 AM ^
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December 7th, 2016 at 8:21 AM ^
that would autocorrect to balls. That would have been awesome.
December 7th, 2016 at 2:38 PM ^
...I was hoping that Taggert being From Bradenton and having success rebuilding the program might encourage him to stay, but it is not to be.... he is probably better of getting out before Genshaft fires him for not getting over the hump.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:26 AM ^
Got a close look.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:41 AM ^
I really doubt that he did. The only time I saw his name mentioned was by fans on forums or a national guy who was clearly just giving their best guess. Helfrich was the previous OC and they just dumped him, bringing in his last OC seems like a retred hire. Add on the fact he would only have a year of HC experience, it just didn't make sense.
December 7th, 2016 at 8:09 AM ^
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December 7th, 2016 at 8:40 AM ^
When Nebraska fired Pelini and hired Mike Riley, it was a "WTF" moment for me. After this year, I've taken a step back from that. Riley seems at least okay, time will tell.
December 7th, 2016 at 9:01 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 10:13 AM ^
I'm still skeptical of the Riley hire. What was Nebraska's best game this season? A 24-17 victory over 8-4 Minnesota? A 52-17 victory over 8-5 Wyoming? A 23-17 OT loss to 10-3 Wisconsin?
December 7th, 2016 at 5:05 PM ^
They'll end up with another 9 win season, which they've had four times under Pelini (they had 10 wins the other 3 seasons). Not sure what they were thinking, but as the late, great Dennis Green said, "They are who we thought they were."
December 7th, 2016 at 10:45 AM ^
What does Oklahoma have to do with anything?
December 7th, 2016 at 1:39 PM ^
The University of Oregon's abbreviation is UO.
December 7th, 2016 at 9:34 AM ^
I'm sure he outhit Taggart in the interview process.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:50 AM ^
Maybe this will lead to a Harbaugh satellite camp in Eugene...
Also wonder if USF will cast its gaze toward our QB coach...
CBS Sports is reporting that Matt Rhule turned down Oregon for Baylor.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:59 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 3:23 PM ^
I read somewhere that Jim Harbaugh called Taggart and introduced himself, and Taggart hung up on him because he didn't believe it was him.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:30 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 7:37 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 7:42 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 7:55 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 8:23 AM ^
Is Hoke really a good D line coach? What can history point to????
December 7th, 2016 at 8:58 AM ^
At the very least he is a seriously good eye for DL talent.
December 7th, 2016 at 10:16 AM ^
Hoke coached that unit. People tend to better remember the back 7 talent on that defense(Woodson, Tommy Hendricks and Marcus Ray, Ian Gold, Sam Sword, Dhani Jones), but the d-line was also outstanding and a major reason why they were so dominant. Rob Renes, Glen Steele, Josh Williams, James Hall, Juaquin Feazell -- that was a great unit. Hoke is in over his head as a Power 5-level coach or coordinator, but the dude can coach a D-line.
December 7th, 2016 at 8:40 AM ^
I love Brady Hoke as much as the next guy but he just doesnt seem fit to coach anymore. Maybe he was a great DL coach in the past but in recent years he's proven that he is not a good coach anymore. He recruited like hell at Michigan but thats about it
December 7th, 2016 at 10:27 AM ^
Perhaps that was a problem, being too focused on them.
December 7th, 2016 at 3:29 PM ^
He was an odd hire for Oregon, not just because he had never been a defensive coordinator before, but because of his well-documented disdain for the spread offense. If he went back to doing what he's always done best, coaching defensive linemen and recruiting, I see no reason why he can't be successful.
But yeah, I would never let him near another Power 5 head coaching job or defensive coordinator gig.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:54 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 8:13 AM ^
Yeah, I doubt it. The defenders will say he didn't have time to get "his players" in there, but I'm sorry - either you can scheme with the pieces you're given, or you can't. We all saw what Greg Mattison did inherting quite possibly the worst Michigan defense of all time. Brady Hoke did...nothing like that.
December 7th, 2016 at 10:39 AM ^
NO credit to Hoke for the defense while he was here? Neither of us knows for sure, but I'd bet Mattison would give him some/a lot. As to the improvement here v. Oregon's tire fire, there were some pieces in place here for the turnaround (Ryan, Martin, Van Bergen, etc.) whereas Oregon defensive personnel is just damn bad. A one year turnaround there was impossible in my humble opinion.
December 7th, 2016 at 8:57 AM ^
as chief recruiter and d-line coach. It is proven that he knows how to spot talent and how to recruit it.
December 7th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
and if Hoke would be willing to take the pay cut I'd be happy to have him working back in Ann Arbor with DL and recruiting.
Just no press conferences 8-)
December 7th, 2016 at 3:32 PM ^
I doubt that would ever work. He would be a constant distraction and the awkwardness would be too much to overcome. I can't think of any head coach who was fired and later went back to his old school as an assistant.
December 7th, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 8:51 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^
Hoke wore a headset this year and Pandora was playing on it.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:50 AM ^
Great hire for Oregon
December 7th, 2016 at 7:53 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 7:53 AM ^
December 7th, 2016 at 8:02 AM ^
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