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Why Willie Taggart could be an intriguing option for Florida
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Willie Taggart left USF last offseason to take over at Oregon, a powerhouse Pac-12 program in recent years.
However, his name could soon surface in coaching rumors, particularly at Florida, as he actually has a rather affordable buyout in his contract compared to other top candidates.
According to FootballScoop.com, if Taggart takes a new job before Jan. 31 of 2018, his buyout is a relatively low (though still expensive) $3 million.
FootballScoop.com reports that Oregon paid $1.7 million to buy Taggart out at USF and would probably want most of that money back too, but it seems the upper limit of the buyout would be $4.7 million.
Taggart has ties to the Florida area and understands what it takes to recruit in the state, having built USF into a powerful program.
As CFB writer Matt Hayes tweeted on Sunday night, though, if Taggart was still at USF, he’d be the early favorite to land the Florida job:
Coaching hires are all about timing. Had Willie Taggart stayed one more year at #USF, he’s a lock for #Gators job.
— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) October 30, 2017
It remains to be seen if Taggart becomes a serious candidate for the Florida job, but if the Gators want to kick the tires, it wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
