FSU Football: Recruiting class overcomes Jimbo Fisher neglect to succeed

FSU football was one of the big stories of National Signing Day as they finished with an amazing class – in spite of the neglect from their former coach.

(Editor’s note: Okay, I’m going to be honest that this is a touchy subject for me. It’s tough to completely bash a coach who led my alma mater to a national title, but the events of the last two months have more than tarnished his FSU football legacy. If you’ve notice, I haven’t written his name – except for the final time I write about him in this “thank you letter”.)

Dear Johnny (I always thought Jimbo was a stupid name),

Well, it is February 9th in Tallahassee and it has been over two months since you abandoned the Seminoles and decided you were better off playing for third place each season in the SEC West and took the money to coach Texas A&M. Don’t get me wrong, $75 million is a lot of coin and no one would fault taking that – but it’s how you did it that bothers most of us in garnet and gold.

What even bothered me and many others more was the revelation from recruits that you and many other assistants activity stopped recruiting players long before you bolted Florida State. When was it that you truly decided to bail? Deondre’s injury? The Miami loss? The Boston College loss? Heck, when you left, assistants went back to recruit even when they knew they weren’t going to remain on the staff of Willie Taggart.

But, you know what? It was all for the best. You got to go back to the SEC and all their “great facilities” – because FSU football and administration didn’t bend over backwards at all for you – and the Seminoles brought in a head coach who actually wants to be here.

The work ethic of Willie Taggart was something that was shown in the two months since he took over for you, John James. He took a recruiting class that was bailing because they followed your lead and, with the help of amazing assistants like Odell Haggins and more, took them to a ranking of 11th nationally in a consensus of all rating services – including ninth by Rivals.

Wait…would you look at that? Taggart and his subpar facilities and “lack of support” from administration finished with a higher ranking than your Aggies, J.J.! I wonder how something like that could take place – don’t you?

Look, like in any divorce there were good times that can not be denied. There is no doubt that the FSU football program was turned around by you and the school’s third national title was won during your tenure. A 14-2 record against rivals Florida and Miami was amazing as were the countless titles, bowl games and awards won by the team and players.

But, and I think most in garnet and gold will agree, the legacy has been tarnished to a noticeable level – and the way you left this year’s recruiting class out to dry once you decided to move on (which I contend was long before December 1st) is something that won’t easily be forgotten.

However, plenty of good came from it with the arrival of Taggart and our recruiting class that looks down at the one you signed with the Aggies.

Next: Jimbo Fisher shows no class ripping FSU during presser

Maybe the pain and distain will go away when you come back for a reunion of that 2013 title team – if you can make time to come back to such horrible conditions for a day – but for now, I think it’s time we make a clean break and see other people. Good luck with things – and hey, at least you already know how to lose to Alabama.

Sincerely,

FSU football nation