Florida State Buys Out Willie Taggart After Losing Games and Recruits

Florida State will need a new head coach after parting ways with Willie Taggart on Monday. The cash-strapped athletics department made the difficult decision to buy out the coach after his 9-12 record since taking the job began to scare away recruits as well as wins.

The University’s athletic director David Coburn described the situation, saying, "There's a lot of ways to measure what was happening with the team. I thought that at the beginning of the season we were making progress. Clemson was a disappointment and I just felt and the president felt since then we just have not looked very good," ESPN reported.

While the financial aspects of the break are still cloudy, Coburn confirmed that Florida State will have to pay Taggart something in the range of $18 million. There is no timetable for the settlement to take place as of yet.

When asked how the university plans to pay such a massive buyout, Coburn said, "You have to look at season ticket sales, renewals, new tickets moving forward. Obviously, those are tied to booster contributions to the annual fund. You're looking at the implications for concessions, parking, you look at that vis-a-vis the cost of a buyout, cost of a new coaching staff, you have to make a decision."

The king’s ransom which Florida State will have to pay the now-former head coach may be worthwhile. Along with losing games, Taggart lost the Seminoles, a number of high-profile recruits.

Last weekend, FSU was ranked as having the 13^th-best recruiting class for next season. However, a number have already de-committed ahead of December’s early signing date.

Derek Bermudez was the first to de-commit last Sunday. The Jacksonville, Florida native was only ranked as a three-star recruit and announced his plan to stay in contact with the Seminoles but others have been more impactful.

Four-star Georgia recruit Isaiah Dunson de-committed Monday and ESPN 300 running back Jaylan Knighton followed suit just hours later. Knighton is the 88^th-ranked recruit in the nation and second-highest who had committed to FSU.

A total of 17 commitments now remains with eight still in the ESPN 300. Interim coach Odell Haggins is now tasked with keeping the remaining recruits committed to the program in the wake of Taggart’s dismissal.

The 4-5 Seminoles face an uphill battle for the rest of this season to secure bowl eligibility. They face off against Boston College on Saturday before facing Alabama State and Florida to round off the season. FSU will need at least two wins to secure a bowl game for the program.

That is, of course, only half the battle with so many recruits now rethinking their commitments. Only time will tell whether or not the $18 million Florida State will pay Taggart is getting off cheap or is just a pyrrhic victory.