Florida State president takes shot at Jimbo Fisher at Willie Taggart press conference
There were a few things Jimbo Fisher said at his introductory Texas A&M press conference that didn’t really sit well with Florida State fans.
Evidently that included Florida State president John Thrasher.
Aside from not-so-subtly hinting (again) that he didn’t share a vision with FSU administration, Fisher said the decision to accept the A&M head-coaching gig was “a no-brainer.”
So when Thrasher spoke at the press conference introducing Willie Taggart as FSU’s new head coach, he said this:
“Some people would say, after what (AD) Stan (Wilcox) said about this being his dream job, I kind of think, it was kind of like a no-brainer to come to Florida State.”
Zing!
The smiles from Taggart, left, and Wilcox, right, say it all.
Thrasher knew exactly what he was saying. Was it a little petty? Yes. Was it funny and probably warranted? Yes and yes.
Florida State moved quickly to bring Taggart in from Oregon as Fisher’s replacement. Taggart is a Florida native who grew up as a Florida State fan and previously had a four-year stint as the head coach at South Florida. He knows the state and its recruiting landscape. The fit was an obvious one, but that didn’t make it easy for Taggart to leave the Ducks after just one season.
In fact, Taggart said he was really wrestling with the decision until he received some advice from his 16-year-old son, Willie Taggart Jr.
“My 16-year-old son came in and out of nowhere he said, ‘Dad, I know you’re struggling with this decision and I know it’s your dream job. You always tell me to chase my dreams and don’t let anyone get in the way of it. I don’t think it’s right for me or anyone else to stop you from chasing your dreams. If you’re going to chase your dream, I’m going to ride with you,'” Taggart said.
Willie Jr. is definitely wise beyond his years.
You could tell what this job means to Taggart, too. He was very emotional Wednesday, noting how much his family loves FSU and what FSU football meant to his community growing up. Taggart’s father died over the summer and he noted returning to Florida to be closer to his mother also played a role in the decision.
The next move is to get a staff in place and hit the road recruiting ahead of the Dec. 20 early signing date.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
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