The year of hell is over. Whatever you think of our head coach, we can all at least rejoice in that. As the sun sets on this season of misery, it also sets on Coach Taggart's honeymoon year. I've been a staunch defender of the idea that one cannot judge this coach in his first year. Well, ladies and gents, as of today that argument is history.
From today forward, Coach Taggart needs to prove he wasn't a colossal mistake in everything he does. Sorry to say it, but he is officially under the microscope. Of course, for many on this site, he was more like an ant frying under a magnifying glass after his first game, but I think for the reasonable majority, he was given a pass this year. That pass has been spent about as poorly as it could have been.
How does he prove he's the right man for the job? First, by signing capable players in the positions of need. I don't necessarily care about the stars, but if we come up short on a position of need - write it down as a reason for firing him. Next, he's got to have a strength and conditioning program that gets some size on some of these players. Unfortunately, it will be impossible to know if that's happening until the shirtless pics return once more next August, but it needs to happen. Finally, next season I need to see a team that can run 11 men out onto the field, on time, and be on the same page. I, along with I suspect most of you, will have zero patience watching confusion and pre-snap penalties or timeouts. I don't care if it's the first game - we had better come out of the gates in September ready to play football as a team, and we had better be competitive in every game, or I'm off the Taggart train and will join the chorus seeking his termination. If next season looks like this one, he shouldn't make it to November.
I want Coach T to succeed - I really do. I love that he's a big fan of the University and wants to do things the right way. This had to have been a tough year for him most of all. But, like he even said during his first speech at FSU, he never expected to be this far along in his coaching career this soon. It's all happening pretty fast for him - maybe too fast. I hope he can pull it together, but if he can't, he needs to be let go.
From today forward, Coach Taggart needs to prove he wasn't a colossal mistake in everything he does. Sorry to say it, but he is officially under the microscope. Of course, for many on this site, he was more like an ant frying under a magnifying glass after his first game, but I think for the reasonable majority, he was given a pass this year. That pass has been spent about as poorly as it could have been.
How does he prove he's the right man for the job? First, by signing capable players in the positions of need. I don't necessarily care about the stars, but if we come up short on a position of need - write it down as a reason for firing him. Next, he's got to have a strength and conditioning program that gets some size on some of these players. Unfortunately, it will be impossible to know if that's happening until the shirtless pics return once more next August, but it needs to happen. Finally, next season I need to see a team that can run 11 men out onto the field, on time, and be on the same page. I, along with I suspect most of you, will have zero patience watching confusion and pre-snap penalties or timeouts. I don't care if it's the first game - we had better come out of the gates in September ready to play football as a team, and we had better be competitive in every game, or I'm off the Taggart train and will join the chorus seeking his termination. If next season looks like this one, he shouldn't make it to November.
I want Coach T to succeed - I really do. I love that he's a big fan of the University and wants to do things the right way. This had to have been a tough year for him most of all. But, like he even said during his first speech at FSU, he never expected to be this far along in his coaching career this soon. It's all happening pretty fast for him - maybe too fast. I hope he can pull it together, but if he can't, he needs to be let go.
