Willie Taggart only spent one season at Oregon, but an opportunity to coach Florida State brought the young head coach back to his roots.
And it might not have happened without support from his family.
ESPN’s Andrea Adelson shared the message Taggart’s 16-year-old son gave to his dad while he deliberated the move.
“Dad, I know you’re struggling with this decision and I know it’s your dream job. You always tell me to chase my dreams and don’t let anyone get in the way of it. I don’t think it’s right for me or anyone else to stop you from chasing your dreams. If you’re going to chase your dream, I’m going to ride with you.”
With that type of support from his son, it’s clear why Taggart accepted the offer to replace Jimbo Fisher.
Additionally, while the term “dream job” is sometimes tossed around without complete merit, it truly fits Taggart’s new gig.
Taggart was born in Bradenton, Florida, and is from a family of Florida State fans. When he coached at South Florida, relatives even showed up to a nonconference matchup between USF and Florida State wearing Seminoles gear.
Although he sports an unspectacular 47-50 record as a head coach in college, Taggart has consistently improved teams before taking a promotion elsewhere. He laid the foundation for thriving programs at Western Kentucky and USF, leading to his deserved opportunity at Oregon last year.
But when Taggart’s dream job came calling, he needed to answer. And if all goes according to plan, he won’t be leaving anytime soon.