Its Time to Turn the Page on Willie Taggart

[snarling Bull]

How many times has a coach been fired after doubling the prior year's win total? How many times has that happened when the school is still on the hook for the prior coach's salary on top of it?

Don't know how many times it has happened, but it happened to our very own Paul Wulff at Washington State. He doubled his win total then was fired because of a declining, non existent fan base.

The AD and administration didn't care that the previous staff had incurred scholarship reductions and the program was just in the process of turning around. he understood that something needed to be done to energize the fan base and it needed to be done quickly.

Needs to happen here before the season ticket sales are below 5000

[Triple B]

 

 

The thing I'm not sure I like really is this idea that 2015 is the year Willie is on the hot seat and he has to win a lot or get fired. Based on what the QB situation looks like right now I can tell you that 2015 isn't exactly going to be a banner year for South Florida football. So why bother waiting?

I think rather you give him some time to work this QB problem out, until you sense the guy is just tragically inept when it comes to judging the position, recruiting it, and making start decisions. And admittedly, we're about halfway there on that.

In my opinion, the problem with making the argument for keeping Willie around for another 2 to 3 years, for the long term turnaround, is the situation with the attendance.

If we had a somewhat stable fan base, one that Harlan could count on to provide about 30,000 in season ticket sales and another 10,000 or so butts in seats, there is no problem sticking it out

However, with an already disinterested, declining fan base where attendance is nearing all time lows consistently, Harlan has to consider what another year of boring, mediocre football will do to the interest level of the fan base long term.

If you have to wait another 2 years for the team to start winning or at least be entertaining, it will be at least another 2 years for the seats to start filling up.

In the big picture, Harlan's job is to create revenue for the University by selling tickets or raising funds. If he has to wait another 4 years for that, he was a waste of money too.

If Taggart could at least put an exciting product on the field so people could be entertained I think we could up with not winning for another year or two.

 

 

This.

 

As i've said elsewhere, if you're boring you better win, and if you're losing you better be exciting.

 

Boring, losing football will kill the ticket revenue

 

 

Losing football will kill the ticket revenue, especially here. I think the vast majority of fans gone over the last few years are gone because of the overall losing not who the coach is/was. The loudmouthed haters supposedly going to leave JUST because of Taggart are a minority. Fans will come back with winning, not just a simple coaching change. All these examples of coaches being fired after just two years, supposedly trying to energize the fanbase, may have worked else elsewhere but I don't see it working here ... unless you get an extremely high profile coach and it's back to if could we afford one. Taggart needs a legitimate chance to get the program back on track, minimum 3 years .... which is what most rational fans here are calling for anyway.

[Orlando Bull]

 

 

 

The thing I'm not sure I like really is this idea that 2015 is the year Willie is on the hot seat and he has to win a lot or get fired. Based on what the QB situation looks like right now I can tell you that 2015 isn't exactly going to be a banner year for South Florida football. So why bother waiting?

I think rather you give him some time to work this QB problem out, until you sense the guy is just tragically inept when it comes to judging the position, recruiting it, and making start decisions. And admittedly, we're about halfway there on that.

In my opinion, the problem with making the argument for keeping Willie around for another 2 to 3 years, for the long term turnaround, is the situation with the attendance.

If we had a somewhat stable fan base, one that Harlan could count on to provide about 30,000 in season ticket sales and another 10,000 or so butts in seats, there is no problem sticking it out

However, with an already disinterested, declining fan base where attendance is nearing all time lows consistently, Harlan has to consider what another year of boring, mediocre football will do to the interest level of the fan base long term.

If you have to wait another 2 years for the team to start winning or at least be entertaining, it will be at least another 2 years for the seats to start filling up.

In the big picture, Harlan's job is to create revenue for the University by selling tickets or raising funds. If he has to wait another 4 years for that, he was a waste of money too.

If Taggart could at least put an exciting product on the field so people could be entertained I think we could up with not winning for another year or two.

 

 

This.

 

As i've said elsewhere, if you're boring you better win, and if you're losing you better be exciting.

 

Boring, losing football will kill the ticket revenue

 

 

Losing football will kill the ticket revenue, especially here. I think the vast majority of fans gone over the last few years are gone because of the overall losing not who the coach is/was. The loudmouthed haters supposedly going to leave JUST because of Taggart are a minority. Fans will come back with winning, not just a simple coaching change. All these examples of coaches being fired after just two years, supposedly trying to energize the fanbase, may have worked else elsewhere but I don't see it working here ... unless you get an extremely high profile coach and it's back to if could we afford one. Taggart needs a legitimate chance to get the program back on track, minimum 3 years .... which is what most rational fans here are calling for anyway.

 

I agree, we're stuck with Taggart for one more year. I think the major concern that I have is that he can't figure it out. The marketing shtick was that Taggart had a "plan" and we had to get on the "bus" and watch it materialize. Well, when you can't pick a QB for 2 solid years, I think it screams that you do not have a "plan" at all. This program is lost. The talent overall is there to be putting a better product on the field. If it's not, then, you do crazy things like trick plays to give your team an edge (USF/Louisville, 2005). If you know you are out-matched, you have to coach to a win. If you have a solid talent advantage, you should be able to just over-power your opponent. We did that against SMU, but, Taggart decided to start Flowers, and almost coached a loss out of that game.

 

In my opinion, that was something Leavitt had over Holtz and Taggart. He recognized when we were over-matched and motivated his team to play above their ability. Taggart doesn't seem to be able to do that (and Holtz certainly didn't except for maybe ND). The players will do it themselves against UCF (like UF/GA this year), but, at some point, if the coach doesn't have "it", we're going to lose a lot. In his defense, Taggart is recruiting some of the best talent in the conference, so, maybe with time, we won't be over-matched as often...

[usfgrad84]

 

 

 

The thing I'm not sure I like really is this idea that 2015 is the year Willie is on the hot seat and he has to win a lot or get fired. Based on what the QB situation looks like right now I can tell you that 2015 isn't exactly going to be a banner year for South Florida football. So why bother waiting?

I think rather you give him some time to work this QB problem out, until you sense the guy is just tragically inept when it comes to judging the position, recruiting it, and making start decisions. And admittedly, we're about halfway there on that.

In my opinion, the problem with making the argument for keeping Willie around for another 2 to 3 years, for the long term turnaround, is the situation with the attendance.

If we had a somewhat stable fan base, one that Harlan could count on to provide about 30,000 in season ticket sales and another 10,000 or so butts in seats, there is no problem sticking it out

However, with an already disinterested, declining fan base where attendance is nearing all time lows consistently, Harlan has to consider what another year of boring, mediocre football will do to the interest level of the fan base long term.

If you have to wait another 2 years for the team to start winning or at least be entertaining, it will be at least another 2 years for the seats to start filling up.

In the big picture, Harlan's job is to create revenue for the University by selling tickets or raising funds. If he has to wait another 4 years for that, he was a waste of money too.

If Taggart could at least put an exciting product on the field so people could be entertained I think we could up with not winning for another year or two.

 

 

This.

 

As i've said elsewhere, if you're boring you better win, and if you're losing you better be exciting.

 

Boring, losing football will kill the ticket revenue

 

 

Losing football will kill the ticket revenue, especially here. I think the vast majority of fans gone over the last few years are gone because of the overall losing not who the coach is/was. The loudmouthed haters supposedly going to leave JUST because of Taggart are a minority. Fans will come back with winning, not just a simple coaching change. All these examples of coaches being fired after just two years, supposedly trying to energize the fanbase, may have worked else elsewhere but I don't see it working here ... unless you get an extremely high profile coach and it's back to if could we afford one. Taggart needs a legitimate chance to get the program back on track, minimum 3 years .... which is what most rational fans here are calling for anyway.

 

Can't speak for others, but for me it is not about making a coaching change for the sake of making a coaching change.  it is about coming up with a guy that can actually manage a team and prepare a team that can win in an interesting manner.  

 

In Taggart's case I just don't see him having the capability to put a strategy or an offense together within the next two years of being competitive enough with the middle to top half of this league.  

 

Unless something changes drastically or he brings in 2 or three of the best, most dynamic offensive players from JUCO next season, this offense will be the same, if not worse, next year because most of the playmakers will be new or just seeing the field for the first time.

 

Whenever we finally do return to start on a real upward, winning trend there is probably going to be a lag effect before fans begin to come back to the stadium.  

 

Taggart is turning this football program into the what the basketball program was under McCullum.  that has nothing to do with winning or losing.  it is just plain boring without a true marquee player to even market around.  Win or lose right now right now, this is a nothing team.  Means nothing to anyone, but the players and us few diehards.  

 

I hope Taggart can do it.  I just have not seen anything yet that shows me he has this team on the right track.

 . 

[Mission9]

 

 

 

People who think CWT will be fired are completely delusional ... (note, I didn't say "should be fired"... I said "will be fired"... "should" implies opinion, "will" implies fact)

He will NOT be fired. USF cannot afford to pay for THREE HEAD COACHES AT THE SAME TIME. In 2015, Holtz has one more year of his buyout. Firing CWT means paying HIS buyout... then paying the salary for another coach.

It may be ugly... but 4 wins are double last year... and more than Skip's last year...

It may not be fast enough for some people... but the team is improving.

Harlan is not going to fire CWT when he is making progress, and we can't really afford it anyway.

This. And, ugly as it is, in his first 2 years CWT has as many wins as Holtz last

2.

Things are improving, just not all at once.

CSH had like 7 or 8 one score losses those two seasons, some on the last play. Those two years the team seemed much more on the edge of competing than these last two.

 

 

He had 3 one score losses his last year, none after BJ went down. His inability to have a serviceable qb in waiting is what probably hastened his departure ....  

 

..and the fact that the defense went into the toilet as the 3 years went by.

[Sellular1]

The thing I'm not sure I like really is this idea that 2015 is the year Willie is on the hot seat and he has to win a lot or get fired. Based on what the QB situation looks like right now I can tell you that 2015 isn't exactly going to be a banner year for South Florida football. So why bother waiting?

I think rather you give him some time to work this QB problem out, until you sense the guy is just tragically inept when it comes to judging the position, recruiting it, and making start decisions. And admittedly, we're about halfway there on that.

In my opinion, the problem with making the argument for keeping Willie around for another 2 to 3 years, for the long term turnaround, is the situation with the attendance.

If we had a somewhat stable fan base, one that Harlan could count on to provide about 30,000 in season ticket sales and another 10,000 or so butts in seats, there is no problem sticking it out

However, with an already disinterested, declining fan base where attendance is nearing all time lows consistently, Harlan has to consider what another year of boring, mediocre football will do to the interest level of the fan base long term.

If you have to wait another 2 years for the team to start winning or at least be entertaining, it will be at least another 2 years for the seats to start filling up.

In the big picture, Harlan's job is to create revenue for the University by selling tickets or raising funds. If he has to wait another 4 years for that, he was a waste of money too.

If Taggart could at least put an exciting product on the field so people could be entertained I think we could up with not winning for another year or two.

 

This.

 

As i've said elsewhere, if you're boring you better win, and if you're losing you better be exciting.

 

Boring, losing football will kill the ticket revenue

 

Losing football will kill the ticket revenue, especially here. I think the vast majority of fans gone over the last few years are gone because of the overall losing not who the coach is/was. The loudmouthed haters supposedly going to leave JUST because of Taggart are a minority. Fans will come back with winning, not just a simple coaching change. All these examples of coaches being fired after just two years, supposedly trying to energize the fanbase, may have worked else elsewhere but I don't see it working here ... unless you get an extremely high profile coach and it's back to if could we afford one. Taggart needs a legitimate chance to get the program back on track, minimum 3 years .... which is what most rational fans here are calling for anyway.

I think he stays next year unless we fall below .500 at some point in conference play. I doubt we beat FSU, Maryland, or SameExcuse in the early part of the season

[wagers]

There have been signs of some well coached games.  Wisconsin and ECU were two of them.  I definitely think he needs a full 3 years to see this through before a knee jerk reaction. 

 

There are some key pieces missing from an offense like this to work:

- Running backs that have man strength (our true frosh are good but don't have this yet.  Tice shows that he can now finally run through some arm tackles as an example)

- O-lineman that are better than what Holtz brought in (Knox, Gibbons, etc are on the way).  Need a top JUCO recruit that starts too.

- TE's that can block

- A QB that is confident and is a leader

 

I think next year, some of these pieces will be in place and then we can judge better.

[TallyBull]

CWT absolutely MUST bring in a quality JUCO QB. Otherwise, we're wasting our time, and CWT will be fired after next year.

[slick1ru2]

There have been signs of some well coached games.  Wisconsin and ECU were two of them.  I definitely think he needs a full 3 years to see this through before a knee jerk reaction. 

 

There are some key pieces missing from an offense like this to work:

- Running backs that have man strength (our true frosh are good but don't have this yet.  Tice shows that he can now finally run through some arm tackles as an example)

- O-lineman that are better than what Holtz brought in (Knox, Gibbons, etc are on the way).  Need a top JUCO recruit that starts too.

- TE's that can block

- A QB that is confident and is a leader

 

I think next year, some of these pieces will be in place and then we can judge better.

The well coached games were eventually lost due to coaching decisions, if I recall correctly. And Johnson looked plenty strong this past game.

What is needed is a coach that coaches to the team's strengths. The winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula, coached to his team's strengths. When he had three strong running backs he used them in a game plan that led to a perfect season in 1972. Later, when he had Marino, changed the game plan to a passing game which resulted in NFL records. He didn't insist on running the ball when he didn't have a running back but he had a great passer. Taggert is apparently so bad he doesn't even know what he has.. He's never going to be a good coach until he changes a lot of his basic thoughts on what he thinks coaches should do. And add to coaching to the strengths, knowing what the team strengths are. After him starting Flowers this past week he doesn't apparently even know what that is.

[Triple B]

 

There have been signs of some well coached games.  Wisconsin and ECU were two of them.  I definitely think he needs a full 3 years to see this through before a knee jerk reaction. 

 

There are some key pieces missing from an offense like this to work:

- Running backs that have man strength (our true frosh are good but don't have this yet.  Tice shows that he can now finally run through some arm tackles as an example)

- O-lineman that are better than what Holtz brought in (Knox, Gibbons, etc are on the way).  Need a top JUCO recruit that starts too.

- TE's that can block

- A QB that is confident and is a leader

 

I think next year, some of these pieces will be in place and then we can judge better.

The well coached games were eventually lost due to coaching decisions, if I recall correctly. 

 

 

Please, if possible, elaborate on the coaching decisions that caused the losses to UW and ECU ....