FSU Football: Willie Taggart’s two coordinator hires ranked in top 10
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football needed to hit home runs with two coordinator hires and head coach Willie Taggart did just that with the additions of Harlon Barnett and Walt Bell.
FSU football had one of its worst offensive seasons in recent memory, and the defense failed to meet expectations with blue chip talent at almost every position.
It was clear new FSU head coach Willie Taggart was going to call the plays but he still needed a good offensive mind that would help expand his offense but mesh well at the same time.
Enter Walt Bell who as worked with great offensive minds like Larry Fedora (UNC) and Blake Anderson (Arkansas State).
The defensive side of the ball was a bit different since Coach Taggart’s background revolves around the offense.
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However, a lot of work behind the scenes the Noles hired Harlon Barnett from Michigan State who has the No. 4 ranked defense in the country according to S&P advanced metrics.
Both hires were met with rave reviews from writers, coaches and former players. In fact, Athlon Sports rated both hires among the 10 best made in the off-season.
- Harlon Barnett-No. 8
- Walt Bell-No. 7
Thoughts
It’s arguable the two should have been ranked even higher. It’s hard to say with Bell because he’s less proven, but every coach that knows him will vouch for what he brings to the table.
He’s already put work in at FSU football by landing four-star QB Sam Howell and helping Coach Taggart install the offense this spring.
I certainly think Barnett should have been ranked higher.
He’s a better hire than Bob Shoop, Todd Grantham and arguably Mike Elko. His defense was ranked higher than all of theirs last year with less talent on the roster at Michigan State.
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It’s going to be exciting to see what he can do with the talent FSU has on defense. The wrinkles Bell will implement into Taggart’s offense should be a breath of fresh air too.