FSU football: Don’t let emotions cloud your judgement
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football at a pivotal moment in determining what its future will be for the next few decades. Don’t let emotion cloud your judgement on the coaching hire.
I’m been watching FSU football since about 1983 when I was five years old and saw Osceola and Renegade gallop out on the field.
I don’t remember who they played, but being Native American and seeing image always stuck with me.
It just so happens FSU football was on the verge of taking off and becoming arguably the most dominant team in college football history over a 14 year span.
It’s also close to the same time Odell Haggins arrived at FSU as a freshmen defensive linemen. Haggins bleeds garnet and gold and is truly one of the best individuals you’re come across in college football.
Florida State Seminoles Football
He’s been a great defensive line coach for decades and helped developed tons of players to go on to the NFL and molded even more players into respectable adults. He’s a FSU Hall of Famer and we could go on and on about what he’s accomplished.
Coach Haggins deserves a ton of credit for stepping in as interim coach when Jimbo Fisher left. He’s doing a great job in his second stint as interim coach after Willie Taggart was fired, and has helped FSU football become bowl eligible for the second time under his watch.
It’s a great feel good story with one of FSU’s own leading the way, and it seems as though a small portion of the FSU fanbase has allowed their emotions to cloud their judgment about the next coaching hire.
Make no mistake, Odell Haggins is a great man, but hiring him as the permanent head coach isn’t the smartest of moves considering what’s on the line.
Can we find one Power 5 program with some sort of commitment to playing big time football who would hire Odell Haggins as it’s head coach right now?
No.
The only reason this is even a thing is because Haggins is a likeable guy who loves FSU football. Well, FSU just fired a guy who who’s likeable with FSU being his dream job in Willie Taggart.
He had head coaching experience and a history of turning programs who were bottom feeders into winners.
Haggins has beaten Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Mississippi, Boston College and Alabama State as interim coach.
He’s never hired a coaching staff and probably has a very limited access to coordinators who’d come and work for him since he’s never really been a head coach himself.
I’m saying that because FSU’s coaching staff needs an entire overhaul aside from one or two coaches. Would Haggins even fire some of the current coaches if he were named head coach?
He’s never had to do that sort of thing, yet folk want him to be the head football coach at FSU? FSU administration is going to spend 20 million dollars to fire Willie Taggart while hiring a search firm to hire someone who was already on staff?
Come on, let your emotions go and come back to reality.
We saw what happened when Bobby Bowden hired his son to run the offense with no experience.
FSU football is in no position to take such a gamble with Odell Haggins as its permanent head coach.