Willie Taggart
Quick Bio: Willie Taggart has become one of the hotter names in coaching despite not having a ton of tangible success to point to at a big time school. But he’s done a great job building up programs, and that’s why Oregon decided to give him a shot.
Pros: Taggart has improved every school he’s coached at. He took over at Western Kentucky in 2010 and took them from 2-10 his first year to a 7-5 regular season and bowl appearance in his third and final year. He then accepted the South Florida job in 2013 and went 2-10 his first season before climbing to 11-2 and a division title in 2016. Oregon came calling after that season, and he’s currently in his first season as the Ducks head coach.
Cons: As mentioned above, Taggart is still in his first season with Oregon. It’s unlikely he would leave there after just one year. Plus, his job at Oregon is his first major job. He’s likely not proven enough yet to most Vol fans.
Kacy Rodgers
Quick Bio: A UT graduate, Kacy Rodgers has spent the last decade and a half in the NFL coaching defenses. He’s coached in and around the state of Tennessee in college as well, but he’s been in the NFL since 2003 as a defensive line coach or defensive coordinator.
Pros: Rodgers has that “orange blood” that many Vol fans want, and he’s had success on the defensive side of the ball as a coach. He went to Tennessee and is from the state, so he knows what it takes to be a Vol.
Cons: Rodgers has never been a head coach and just recently became a defensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2015. He would be a good addition as a defensive coordinator, but it remains to be seen how he would do as a head coach.
3 Responses
My opinion is: Be careful who you wish for, you might get them! We all know Jon Gruden knows a lot about football but how much does he know about being a College Football Coach? We need a person who is a dynamic coach that will take these recruits to the next level. We already have the talent in place, we just need to have a coach that knows how to develop them. So, Mr. Currie, please be careful and choose the right coach this time! I love Tennessee Vols football and just want it back to the glory days. Go Big Orange!
I don’t get the reluctance to welcome Jon Gruden back to The Hill. Any leader making anything much more complicated than meat loaf has to delegate much of what gets done to assistants. Does Jon Gruden know how to win football games? I think he does. Will elite players flock to K-town to play for him? I think they will. Can Coach Gruden attract good assistants? He must have to win a Super Bowl.
He is the guy if the university will finally show it cares about winning.
Bobby Petrine, T. Martin, new ideas, more disciplined better connected to the players. Able to instill Tennessee volunteers traditional into the game .and bring us back where we belong. I think recruting will still be good with either one of these as coaches?