FSU Paying over $100K for Football Coach Search After Willie Taggart Firing

Florida State University revealed Thursday that it is paying DHR International $100,000 plus expenses to conduct its search for a new head football coach, according to WarChant.com. 

The Seminoles fired Willie Taggart last month after a 4-5 start to the season. Taggart also went 5-7 in 2018, giving him a disappointing 9-12 mark overall.

Since replacing Taggart and serving as the interim head coach, Odell Haggins has gone 2-1, which was enough to make FSU bowl eligible.

Last season marked the first time Florida State failed to reach a bowl game since 1981, and if the Seminoles lose in a bowl game this season, they will finish with a losing record in consecutive years for the first time since having four straight losing campaigns from 1973-1976.

Not counting Haggins, the Seminoles will have their third different head coach in four years whenever they make a hire.

Taggart was initially viewed as a good hire due to his success at South Florida (10-2 in 2016) before going 7-5 at Oregon in 2017. He simply wasn't a quality fit, however, and the program dropped off significantly under him compared to where it was with Jimbo Fisher at the helm.

Fisher left FSU at the conclusion of the 2017 season to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M. During his eight seasons at Florida State, Fisher went 83-23 with six seasons of double-digit wins and a national championship.

The next head coaching hire will be a pivotal moment in Florida State history in terms of determining whether the program will continue down its current path or return to the Fisher and Bobby Bowden glory days.

Since he is 4-1 in two separate stints as interim head coach, Haggins figures to be a strong candidate for the job.

If FSU decides to look elsewhere, Memphis head coach Mike Norvell, Penn State head coach James Franklin and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly are all reportedly under consideration, per Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat.