College football world reacts to firing of FSU head coach Willie Taggart

Rivalry games may have been Willie Taggart’s undoing as the second-year coach at Florida State was fired on Sunday.

In his one-plus season at FSU, Taggart had a 9-11 overall record. Taggart led FSU to a 5-7 record last season and was 4-5 in Year 2 after losing to Miami. Taggart’s overall ACC record was 6-9. His buyout is reportedly nearly $18 million.

His performance against chief rivals Florida, Miami and Clemson was most troubling. As Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times explained, “a whole bunch of ugly numbers came this season to trump it. 0-5 against his rivals. Outscored 99-55 in 4Q. And 1000s of empty seats.”

Some immediate fan reaction centered on FSU paying the large buyout, and how Taggart would be just fine with the large deposit. Others were surprised he was fired ahead of Arkansas coach Chad Morris.

Other fans mentioned that Oregon fans were relieved when Taggart left for Tallahassee.

Sad to see Willie Taggart fired at FSU. It takes longer to transform the kind of player culture he inherited from Fisher than they gave him. Agree w @KirkHerbstreit. He is a class act who inherited a tough gig. This Gator wishes Taggart well.

— SWillif_55 Reads (@SherryWillifor2) November 3, 2019

Willie Taggart was so bad that he honestly might be the first coach that Nick Saban turns down in his coaching analyst rehab program.

— Saturday Down South (@SDS) November 3, 2019

Willie Taggart in Rivalry Games

Miami 2018: blew 20 point lead
Clemson 2018: lost by 49 at home
Florida 2018: lost by 26 at home
Clemson 2019: lost by 31
Miami 2019: lost by 17 at home

— Barstool FSU (@FSU_Barstool) November 2, 2019

Easy to jump to conclusions after a pathetic showing in yet another loss to a rival but imo the Willie Taggart era effectively ended today. Fully expect FSU to not qualify for a bowl and for FSU to be forced to move on from a 2nd year coach.

— Ingram Smith (@IngramSmith) November 2, 2019

In the offseason, I thought $17+ million would be the only figure that mattered with Willie Taggart and #FSU.
But a whole bunch of ugly numbers came this season to trump it. 0-5 against his rivals. Outscored 99-55 in 4Q. And 1000s of empty seatshttps://t.co/lVI0gJTZru

— Matt Baker (@MBakerTBTimes) November 3, 2019

Willie Taggart’s buyout will cost Florida State more than 1.2 Petrinos but only a fraction of a Jimbo

— Banner Society (@BannerSociety) November 3, 2019

Willie Taggart headed to pick up his FSU lottery winnings pic.twitter.com/r569Ubaa6u

— Tío Silk (@UnkleSilk) November 3, 2019

Wish Willie Taggart nothing but the best. Great guy, just not the right guy.

— 3BrownsFan3 (@3NolesFan3) November 3, 2019

I wonder if Oregon fans are happy Willie Taggart left on his own

— Walk-On Redshirt Podcast (@walkonredshirts) November 2, 2019

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.