Willie Taggart, South Florida Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Reaction

Willie Taggart's tenure as head football coach at South Florida will continue after a brief moment of uncertainty, with the two sides reaching an agreement on a five-year contract extension. 

ESPN's Brett McMurphy first reported Taggart's extension, which will run through the 2020 season. Taggart posted his own message to USF on Twitter about his new deal:

Mark Harlan, athletic director at South Florida, also posted a message on Twitter about Taggart's contract extension:

Kevin O'Donnell of Fox 13 in Tampa expressed his enthusiasm over the deal because of what it means for South Florida football:

South Florida took steps to re-sign Taggart after McMurphy reported Friday that the 39-year-old had interviewed for South Carolina's head coaching job.

In three years as head coach at South Florida, he has turned the struggling program around. The Bulls were on the decline coming out of the Skip Holtz era, winning eight total games from 2011-12.

Taggart's first season was the full bottoming out for South Florida, as it won just two games, but his teams have doubled their win total each of the previous two years, with four victories in 2014 and eight this season. 

The Bulls are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010, potentially against Western Kentucky, where Taggart spent three years as head coach before taking over at South Florida.

Given Taggart's age and already impressive resume, there's little doubt he's a rising star in the coaching ranks. His commitment to South Florida speaks to how much he values the program, with the feeling clearly mutual based on this new long-term deal.