Yeah Neutral I’m a A-hole…….I express opinions about topics and you apparently are often offended by them. I stumbled on this today not realizing this guy’s sentiments on Taggart the football coach……not the football player, echo mine exactly! I’ll go one step further on the whole Kinnan thing having spent more time in Bradenton in the last few months and realizing what has happen to the county on the whole. I believe the whole fiasco with Kinnan ultimately retiring, was a situation where county money has moved out to east Bradenton in and around the interstate…..and a certain sentiment evolved that the newly created schools football programs, were destined to play 2nd fiddle to Manatee as long as Kinnan was at Manatee HS. I say that only because of how situations that have subsequently developed with certain HS football programs out around the interstate and how the County school board responded to them, led me to believe the fix was in to rid the county of Joe Kinnan……..but all of that leads to the current situation at FSU with Taggart as the HBC…….this guy lays the rise of Taggart out better than I could have ever explained it
By Chris Anderson Posted at 2:06 PM Updated at 4:22 PM In 2014, the Manatee County school district forced Joe Kinnan into retirement. Kinnan then bailed out Willie Taggart, his former player, at USF, which fooled Florida State into thinking Taggart was a capable coach. The mistake could cost FSU millions. Florida State did not play in a bowl game last season for the first time in 36 years, which means the Seminoles — under the leadership of Willie Taggart, the Pride of Palmetto — had nine months to prepare for mighty Boise State in the 2019 season opener. That’s not all. The ’Noles led in the game by 18 points, were facing a quarterback four months removed from his high school prom, had the stifling Florida heat on their side against a team from Idaho, and an act of God (Hurricane Dorian) moved the game from Jacksonville to their home field in Tallahassee. All of that in their favor, and they still couldn’t win.
That’s how bad of a coach Taggart is. But this, of course, is no longer a secret. The Palmetto native is a 52-58 career coach who has never won a conference championship or a bowl game and is somehow paid millions for such incompetence. Last year — his first at FSU — he guided the ’Noles to a 5-7 record, their first losing season in more than 40 years. 40! OK, FSU fans, know who you can blame for this fiasco of a hiring? That’s right. Former superintendent Rick Mills and the Manatee County school district. I wrote the same thing three years ago, but it’s even more serious now as the action they took in 2014 by firing Hall of Fame high school coach Joe Kinnan has had a domino effect that may cost Florida State University $17 million before it’s all over.
Here’s the logic: In 2013 Taggart was coaching USF and running a prehistoric offense that was ranked 122nd in the country. The Bulls finished the season 2- 10. Taggart was close to being fired the next season before he did the smartest thing possible. He brought in Kinnan — his old high school coach at Manatee High and one of the best football minds on any level — to install a new offense and save his job. Kinnan, thanks to being forced into retirement by the Manatee school district in 2014, just so happened to be available. In 2015, Kinnan turned the offense into the second best in the nation, and USF finished the season with a school-record 11 wins. All of a sudden Taggart is a genius. Fooled into thinking Taggart could coach, Oregon lured him away for $16 million, two cars and a country club membership. Taggart — who did not bring Kinnan to Oregon — did what he always does. He coached the Ducks to an underwhelming 7-5 season and then packed up the tent for more money in Tallahassee.
To wit: In the two seasons Kinnan was with Taggart at USF, the Bulls were 18- 7. Those 18 wins represent 35 percent of Taggart’s career total of 52. Taggart’s record at Oregon and FSU over the last two seasons — without Kinnan — was 12-12.So where do Mills and the Manatee County school district fit into all of this, you may ask, and why should they be blamed for Taggart? Well, Kinnan was one of the best high school football coaches in state history, maybe the best. In 29 years at Manatee High he won 290 games and five state titles. He was also the school’s athletic director, and in 2014 Mills suspended him for 10 days because of some transgressions in the baseball program. Essentially, Kinnan’s character was called into question, and he was personally crushed, taking a medical leave from coaching football that ultimately led to his retirement. Kinnan filed a lawsuit against Mills that is still pending. It’s a simple chain of events. Had Mills not suspended Kinnan, it’s likely he would still be coaching at Manatee High. He would not have been available to bail out Taggart at USF. Taggart would then not have been able to fool big-time colleges into thinking he could coach. Taggart’s offense at USF — largely Kinnan’s creation — is one big reason Oregon lured him away. FSU was next to buy into the myth, giving Taggart a six-year contract worth $30 million, easily making the Pride of Palmetto the highest-paid state employee in Florida. He rewarded them with the worst season at FSU in over 40 years — 40! — and then kicked the 2019 season off by blowing an 18- point lead at home against Boise State. Here’s the kicker: If FSU ever fires Taggart — and it’s still a mystery as to why it hasn’t happened already — the PoP is set to receive 85 percent of the compensation he is owed. In other words, if Taggart is fired after this season, FSU will owe him $17 million, money that can be traced all the way back to the Manatee County school district.
Go Canes Go!
By Chris Anderson Posted at 2:06 PM Updated at 4:22 PM In 2014, the Manatee County school district forced Joe Kinnan into retirement. Kinnan then bailed out Willie Taggart, his former player, at USF, which fooled Florida State into thinking Taggart was a capable coach. The mistake could cost FSU millions. Florida State did not play in a bowl game last season for the first time in 36 years, which means the Seminoles — under the leadership of Willie Taggart, the Pride of Palmetto — had nine months to prepare for mighty Boise State in the 2019 season opener. That’s not all. The ’Noles led in the game by 18 points, were facing a quarterback four months removed from his high school prom, had the stifling Florida heat on their side against a team from Idaho, and an act of God (Hurricane Dorian) moved the game from Jacksonville to their home field in Tallahassee. All of that in their favor, and they still couldn’t win.
That’s how bad of a coach Taggart is. But this, of course, is no longer a secret. The Palmetto native is a 52-58 career coach who has never won a conference championship or a bowl game and is somehow paid millions for such incompetence. Last year — his first at FSU — he guided the ’Noles to a 5-7 record, their first losing season in more than 40 years. 40! OK, FSU fans, know who you can blame for this fiasco of a hiring? That’s right. Former superintendent Rick Mills and the Manatee County school district. I wrote the same thing three years ago, but it’s even more serious now as the action they took in 2014 by firing Hall of Fame high school coach Joe Kinnan has had a domino effect that may cost Florida State University $17 million before it’s all over.
Here’s the logic: In 2013 Taggart was coaching USF and running a prehistoric offense that was ranked 122nd in the country. The Bulls finished the season 2- 10. Taggart was close to being fired the next season before he did the smartest thing possible. He brought in Kinnan — his old high school coach at Manatee High and one of the best football minds on any level — to install a new offense and save his job. Kinnan, thanks to being forced into retirement by the Manatee school district in 2014, just so happened to be available. In 2015, Kinnan turned the offense into the second best in the nation, and USF finished the season with a school-record 11 wins. All of a sudden Taggart is a genius. Fooled into thinking Taggart could coach, Oregon lured him away for $16 million, two cars and a country club membership. Taggart — who did not bring Kinnan to Oregon — did what he always does. He coached the Ducks to an underwhelming 7-5 season and then packed up the tent for more money in Tallahassee.
To wit: In the two seasons Kinnan was with Taggart at USF, the Bulls were 18- 7. Those 18 wins represent 35 percent of Taggart’s career total of 52. Taggart’s record at Oregon and FSU over the last two seasons — without Kinnan — was 12-12.So where do Mills and the Manatee County school district fit into all of this, you may ask, and why should they be blamed for Taggart? Well, Kinnan was one of the best high school football coaches in state history, maybe the best. In 29 years at Manatee High he won 290 games and five state titles. He was also the school’s athletic director, and in 2014 Mills suspended him for 10 days because of some transgressions in the baseball program. Essentially, Kinnan’s character was called into question, and he was personally crushed, taking a medical leave from coaching football that ultimately led to his retirement. Kinnan filed a lawsuit against Mills that is still pending. It’s a simple chain of events. Had Mills not suspended Kinnan, it’s likely he would still be coaching at Manatee High. He would not have been available to bail out Taggart at USF. Taggart would then not have been able to fool big-time colleges into thinking he could coach. Taggart’s offense at USF — largely Kinnan’s creation — is one big reason Oregon lured him away. FSU was next to buy into the myth, giving Taggart a six-year contract worth $30 million, easily making the Pride of Palmetto the highest-paid state employee in Florida. He rewarded them with the worst season at FSU in over 40 years — 40! — and then kicked the 2019 season off by blowing an 18- point lead at home against Boise State. Here’s the kicker: If FSU ever fires Taggart — and it’s still a mystery as to why it hasn’t happened already — the PoP is set to receive 85 percent of the compensation he is owed. In other words, if Taggart is fired after this season, FSU will owe him $17 million, money that can be traced all the way back to the Manatee County school district.
Go Canes Go!
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