Willie Taggart continues to make great moves with FSU football. The addition of Mickey Andrews to the staff is getting rave reviews.
FSU football announced one of the coolest moves in the Willie Taggart era Friday afternoon with legendary defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews returning to the staff.
His official title will be “Special Assistant to the Head Coach” which is a vague description but still pays great respect to the man behind some of the greatest defenses in college football history.
Andrews was FSU’s defensive coordinator under Bobby Bowden from 1984-2009 and retired after Bowden’s final game in 2009.
He was the inaugural Broyles Award winner in 1996 which is given to the best assistant coach in college football.
Welcome back to the football staff, Coach Andrews! 🍢
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) August 3, 2018
📚: https://t.co/avZmDi8QnF pic.twitter.com/lwOpPb3kA1
Coach Andrews provided a statement via press release in the embedded tweet:
“I want to thank Coach Taggart for this opportunity,” Coach Andrews said. “His passion for Florida State has been evident from the first time I met him, and his energy is contagious. I am excited to be part of his staff as he leads Florida State back toward competing for championships, and I’m looking forward to contributing in any way I can.”
Reaction
@FSUFootball @Seminoles I heard MICKEY ANDREWS was back thanks to coach @CoachTaggart ! Amen Amen Amen. That’s the most influential coach in my career. If it weren’t for the discipline & technique Mickey taught me there wouldn’t have been No PRIME! #Truth it’s on now! FSU💯👈🏿🏈
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 4, 2018
My gahd, I love this man more every day!! pic.twitter.com/gzHmRjloOV
— Ashley Reamer (@Ashley_Caroline) August 3, 2018
The goat is back. We cooking with crisco now. Too excited.
— All 👀 ON AJ 🤘🏾🐶 (@alleyesonaj) August 3, 2018
— ⚠️ Noleblooded Evaluator🩸⚠️ (@God1stNole2nd) August 3, 2018
As you can see the fans are pumped with the news. I think most fans are just happy Coach Taggart gets it when it comes to what made FSU football what it is today.
Thoughts
It’s a great move by Coach Taggart to bridge the old with the new while paying great respect to what Coach Andrews did during his time in Tallahassee.
It was clear offensive game had changed to adapt to his defensive schemes in his later years, but that’s the effect he had on the game.
He’s the defensive coordinator responsible for offensive coaches going to spread systems. I don’t expect him to be telling Harlon Barnett what to do, but I’m sure he could lend some pointers here and there in certain situations.
It’s a great move if even the role isn’t really a coaching spot, just look at the response from the fans and how pumped they were in the tweets.
It’s like Coach Taggart keeps making all the right moves and has the entire fan base behind him. Now, all he has to do is win on the field in 2018 and everyone will quickly forget about last season.