If the one thing that can be expected from an athlete and a team is improvement, then that is the foundational measure where Oregon fans can choose to build their enthusiasm around new coach Willie Taggart, hired away from South Florida to replace Mark Helfrich.
Taggart, at 40, is not a flashy young buck. He's not a big name already being measured for the coaching Mount Rushmore. He's not a sure-thing. He won't inspire Ducks fans to immediately parade through Eugene certain that Washington's rise under Chris Petersen is about to abruptly end.
Taggart owns a career record of 40-45 at Western Kentucky and South Florida.