FSU Football: New direction under Willie Taggart is perfect holiday gift

FSU football is going to be a completely different team next season under their new head coach – and its the perfect thing for fans to unwrap this year.

For the FSU football program, the month of December has gone from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. On the first day of the month, the program saw head coach Jimbo Fisher resign just hours before the team was to play their final game of the season to become bowl eligible (and yes, they are bowl eligible so stop it, haters.)

As the former head coach bolted for a bigger paycheck and lower playoff chances in the future, the Seminoles were able to bring in someone who has people smiling and hoping for the future. The program brought in Willie Taggart, a Florida native who turned around every program he has been at, with the hope of rejuvenating a program that has been stale since winning the 2013 title.

Since then, Taggart has been able to get players on board with his plans – from the offensive pace to maybe even switching up jersey combinations – and has many fans eager and anxious for the era of Lethal Simplicity to get underway.

FSU football didn’t break the bank when it came to the early recruiting period – but the quality brought in might be able to compete with other powers that includes five players rank four star prospects and one five star. Taggart has made it clear that he’s not just going to sign players just to say he had the most, but that he wants the best quality out there – a novel concept.

In regards to assistant coaches, Taggart has made it clear that – unlike his predecessor, who was hardly willing to make changes because it would make him look bad – he wants his coaches to be the best fit for the program and make the players the best on and off the field (h/t Orlando Sentinel):

"“It’s so critical that we help them become the men that they want to be, and sometimes you don’t get that. They need that more than anything.”“You see so often that these kids become great football players. You take football away from them, and they’re in trouble or something bad happens. They haven’t learned anything else. It’s our job as coaches to make sure that we help them with that.”"

Wow…if that doesn’t make you proud of what the future may hold for the Seminoles, I don’t know will. Taggart has already brought in three assistants with ties to the Sunshine State or his system, meaning the growing pains will be minimal in Tallahassee.

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Will Taggart win a national title for FSU football in his fourth season or earlier like the former coach? Time will tell. Right now, the change in leadership and direction the program is heading is a championship for the Seminoles that can only lead to big things ahead.