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Oregon Football: 5 reasons why Willie Taggart is the answer, long-term

By Erich Hilkert

Apr 29, 2017; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon head coach Willie Taggart walks on the field before the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2017; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon head coach Willie Taggart walks on the field before the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oregon football had a rough season in 2016, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and his name is Willie Taggart.

On his way out the door, Mark Helfrich left the cupboard full in Eugene. The former Oregon football coach may have struggled to create consistency on the field, but he left many pieces and state of the art football facilities for the next man up.

Who was the next man up? None other than South Florida’s Willie Taggart. Coming off a successful season with the Bulls, Taggart seemed like the right fit and looks to be a home run hire. It’s early, but it sure looks like he’s the answer to the Ducks’ problems.

Here are five reasons why Taggart is the right long-term answer for the Ducks.

5. Recruiting, part I: Passion

After enduring an embarrassing 4-8 record, Oregon officials felt they had no choice but to fire head coach Mark Helfrich. Helfrich took the Ducks to the National Championship in 2014, but it was clear the program was in decline.

The team went from 13-2 in 2015 to 9-4 in 2015 and finally 4-8 in 2016. Helfrich couldn’t match the sustained success of his predecessor Chip Kelly, nor did he bring the same excitement to the fanbase. Helfrich admitted he disliked the recruiting element of being a head coach. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise Oregon went after one of the best recruiting candidates possible in Taggart.

Helfrich was a factor in bringing Marcus Mariota to Oregon, although Mariota’s primary recruiter was former Oregon running game coordinator Steve Greatwood. It didn’t exactly come as a revelation when Helfrich admitted he disliked recruiting. He never talked with excitement when discussing recruits. In some ways, a figure like Helfrich might have been necessary after an overzealous figure like Kelly landed Oregon in hot water with the NCAA.

Taggart, on the other hand, talks big when discussing his aspirations. He’s already thrown out championships (note: plural). He’s also talked about being among the best in the Pac-12 on the recruiting trail, while previous Oregon coaches wouldn’t touch the subject of recruiting against USC.

Admittedly, this is way-too-early, but 247Sports has Oregon ranked at the top of the Pac-12.

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