Florida State got the coach it wanted to lead a new era: the optimistic, energetic Willie Taggart, a Seminole at heart who said and did all the right things from the moment he arrived.
His offense would take advantage of all the speed and skill at Florida State. His defense would be physical and aggressive again. His culture would bring more accountability and responsibility, and draw his players closer. His practices would be more fun, music blaring as a smiling Taggart often bobbed along to the beat.
Sold-out booster crowds came to hear him speak across the state, and it became hard to imagine a more perfect fit, for both Taggart and Florida State.