FAU and COVID

[BullyPulpit]

Adding to that, Willie is 56-62 (.475) in his coaching career. Kiffin is a much more respectable 61-34 (.642). 

[OnTheBus]

2 hours ago, bowman1 said:

If Lane Kiffin can do it, anyone can

Are you saying that if Lane can win 2 conference championships and have two 10 win seasons at FAU in a three year span, then anyone can? That's what led to him getting a big job again.

Because I disagree. I think that Lane, even counting all his flaws, has a leg up on Willie T and anyone else who has coached FAU since Schnellenberger. Lane is a true Xs and Os offensive mastermind.

[BullyPulpit]

1 minute ago, John Lewis said:

He took over 2 programs on the decline. Had Oregon eligible in his only season there.

FSU may have been in even worse shape when he arrived. Remember that in Jimbo's last there they added a game late in the season just to become bowl eligible.

Personally, I don't believe he was given a fair look at FSU for them to have pulled the plug before season 2 was over.

We don't know what went on behind the scenes, but from those that I know close to their program the general consensus was that the guy was in way over his head and had not laid the foundation for a successful program. Kiffin didn't inherit ideal situations at the schools he was coaching at either. What he did with his 3 seasons at Florida Atlantic was pretty amazing. Believe me, I'm not a fan of the guy, but to me Taggart isn't at Kiffin's level as far as coaching chops are concerned. 

[OnTheBus]

2 hours ago, Bull Dozer said:

Lane's career was supposed to be DOA when he arrived to FAU (his beef with Saban at Bama was supposed to be the final nail in the coffin)

That most certainly was not the narrative at the time. Everyone knew his time at Alabama was done. If he didn't get a coaching job, it was known at the time the LSU OC gig was his if he wanted it. When he picked FAU inexplicably, there wasn't much doubt that he would be able to implement his offensive schemes at that level that would take advantage of the lesser-caliber defenses in CUSA. I remember it being widely accepted that it was a 2-3 year layover before getting a premier job again, assuming he won championships at FAU (that was the expectation, and it was met).

[John Lewis]

3 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

We don't know what went on behind the scenes, but from those that I know close to their program the general consensus was that the guy was in way over his head and had not laid the foundation for a successful program. Kiffin didn't inherit ideal situations at the schools he was coaching at either. What he did with his 3 seasons at Florida Atlantic was pretty amazing. Believe me, I'm not a fan of the guy, but to me Taggart isn't at Kiffin's level as far as coaching chops are concerned. 

He had to replace a good deal of players to help fit his system (sounds familiar), which he didn't have to at Oregon.

Those things take time (sounds familiar again) and Coach Taggart wasn't given that.

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

3 hours ago, BullyPulpit said:

Like I said, I don't blame him, but he clearly got in over his head. He got paid well for now, but who knows if he cost himself money long-term by making the jump to bigger programs before he was ready as a coach. Either way, he has about $35 million reasons as to why he jumped ship. I just can't see a major program giving him a chance unless he does something extraordinary at the lower level or at a mid-tier school. 

if Lane Kiffin can do it, then why not Willy T?

Personally dont care either way.

[OnTheBus]

8 minutes ago, John Lewis said:

Those things take time (sounds familiar again) and Coach Taggart wasn't given that.

Great coaches scheme around the talent they have that day, while recruiting players to fit the direction that coach wants to go. Not implement a system immediately without the players to support it.

 

That's why Taggart was close to getting fired 2 1/2 years into his USF gig before QF finally took **** into his own hands at the Homecoming game vs Syracuse. And I believed back then as I still believe today that he would have been fired if that game was a loss (his record would have been 7-21 at that point)

[BullyPulpit]

3 minutes ago, OnTheBus said:

Are you saying that if Lane can win 2 conference championships and have two 10 win seasons at FAU in a three year span, then anyone can? That's what led to him getting a big job again.

Because I disagree. I think that Lane, even counting all his flaws, has a leg up on Willie T and anyone else who has coached FAU since Schnellenberger. Lane is a true Xs and Os offensive mastermind.

Agree 100%. They aren't the same caliber of coaches from an X's and O's perspective. 

 

2 minutes ago, John Lewis said:

He had to replace a good deal of players to help fit his system (sounds familiar), which he didn't have to at Oregon.

Those things take time (sounds familiar again) and Coach Taggart wasn't given that.

At this point, Taggart appears to be a coach who's career was built on the back of a transcendent athletic talent in Quinton Flowers. He is energetic and has charisma, but I don't see him as a great game day coach. I agree he wasn't given much time at FSU, but I also get the sense that there was a consensus that he wasn't a good head coach.  Something has to really be amiss for a school to be willing to give up that much money to get rid of you before you even had 3 full seasons.  

[OnTheBus]

I can summarize Willie T's failure at FSU in just two words:

TURNOVER BACKPACK.

 

I mean, really? Of all the Turnover Chain rip-offs we saw since Miami unveiled their chain, the BACKPACK was by far the weakest.

[DaNewsBull]

This is one of the Georgia Southern broadcasters as they're playing FAU this coming week. We will see how this week goes..