Why FSU Football history is on Willie Taggart’s side for year two

FSU Football has, for the most part in their history, done much better in the second year of a coach’s time with the school – something needed after 2018.

When Willie Taggart was named as the 10th full time head coach in the history of the FSU football program, there were not many people out there who expected what took place last season – the first losing campaign for the Seminoles in over four decades. But, the sun has come up each day since and history is on his side for a better season in 2019.

Now, critics out there who have been against Taggart’s hire since day one for whatever reason they may have are currently jumping up and screaming right now about how I could possibly write something like that about the leader of the Seminoles – and to that, I will say that it centers around one simple word.

History.

Florida State Seminoles Football

In the 71 seasons that the FSU football program was in existence before Taggart even got to Tallahassee, the Seminoles had nine coaches lead the team for at least one full season with seven of them returning for year two (the first head coach, Ed Williamson, stuck around for just the inaugural 1947 season while Perry Moss bolted after the 1959 season.)

Of those seven coaches, five of them had a better record in their second season that included three of those coaches making it to a bowl game in year number two.

"Don Veller (7-1 in 1948 to 9-1 and bowl game in 1949)Tom Nugent (5-5 in 1953 to 8-4 and bowl game in 1954)Bill Peterson (3-6-1 in 1960 to 4-5-1 in 1961)Larry Jones (8-4 in 1971 to 7-4 in 1972)Darrell Mudra (1-10 in 1974 to 3-8 in 1975)Bobby Bowden (5-6 in 1976 to 10-2 and bowl game in 1977)The last FSU football “leader” (10-4 in 2010 to 9-4 and bowl game in 2011)"

Awww, would you look at that? The man that some FSU football fans wish was still the head coach before he abandoned the program for East Texas was NOT one of the coaches who got better in year two! That’s truly a shame, right?

While many in garnet and gold would give anything for the turnaround in year two that Bowden had to take place once again this season under Taggart, the reality is that at this point they would be happy with multiple more wins and a bowl game like what took place under both Veller and Nugent.

The reality is simple, and this is going to hurt some of the haters out there not willing to give Taggart a chance: FSU football is going to be better this season and will have a winning record in 2019. Just how much better and how many more wins is the question.