Column: Haggins, Taggart Show Much-Needed Appreciation for FSU

Jimbo Fisher soured much of the atmosphere surrounding Florida State football when he bailed for Texas A&M. That’s not much of an overstatement.

I know, I know. I won’t spend this whole column forcing you to relive those memories (frankly, who even wants to?), but I think it’s important to bring to light the significant difference in attitude between Fisher in his last days and the two coaches who have succeeded him.

Mainly, the fact that interim head coach Odell Haggins and the next full-time head coach Willie Taggart actually look like they appreciate FSU.

I’m sure Fisher loved his time in Tallahassee and, had he handled the departure with a little more class, I honestly wouldn’t have blamed him for needing a new challenge – a fresh start with a program that hasn’t won a championship since World War II.

But Fisher burned every bridge possible on the way out. And his comments during his introductory press conference at A&M further reduced any sympathy the FSU fans had for him to simmering ashes.

Fisher called his decision to leave FSU a “no-brainer”. Fair enough.

Then he took one last parting shot at the administration.

“You can have the greatest coaches in the world,” Fisher said. “But if your administration doesn’t see things the way you see things and allow you to do things that way, nothing can be achieved.”

I get it. I get Fisher desperately wanted the mon… a new challenge.

I get that he wanted a shiny new football-only facility (despite FSU already having the plans to break ground on one).

I get that he couldn’t leave without firing one last dig at the administration that forced out a legend to present him with one of the hottest coaching jobs in America.

(I hope the sarcasm registered.)

Honestly, though, none of that matters anymore. Because now, FSU has two coaches that genuinely love the program.

Haggins unquestionably bleeds garnet and gold. And it showed after his Seminoles clinched bowl eligibility – something most of us (I’ll admit, myself included) thought was impossible two months ago.

“All the credit goes to our football players. It’s not about me being named the interim head coach. It’s about those kids,” Haggins said. “Resilient, how they fought. They didn’t quit.

“Florida State, if you look at the south end zone of that stadium, unconquered. Remember that. We haven’t gone anywhere, and we’re not going anywhere at Florida State University.”

He thanked FSU president John Thrasher. He talked about how honored he was to be a part of the streak – both as a player and a coach.

He kept on saying that the victory was “for the kids”.

That the streak is “for the kids.”

“This year our kids got a lot of life lessons not to quit,” Haggins said. “Keep fighting.”

Then the new guy arrived, and it just got better.

Willie Taggart exemplified the new culture that is soon to come at FSU. What the culture is will be discovered after this season ends, but Taggart rocked his opening press conference. Especially when he mentioned that FSU is his “dream job.”

“As you start your career, you always have dreams and goals. It’s pretty amazing how life can put you in places where you need to be,” Taggart said. “There’s different ways of getting there and crazy ways of getting there. All those years I wanted to be a Nole and supported the Noles and never gave up on it, and now we’re here today, and now I’m the head football coach of the Florida State Seminoles.

“You talk about chasing a dream and always wanted to be a part of, and I can officially say I’m in. I’m in now.”

How refreshing is that?

How great was it that, instead of taking credit for being the first African-American head coach at FSU, he directed the praise toward Haggins?

How great is it that he’s already out recruiting for FSU? That he’s actively trying to salvage a broken recruiting class? Oh, by the way, he’s already trying to flip quarterback and Georgia commit Justin Fields.

How great it is that he genuinely seems to love FSU? That he unashamedly called the program his dream job?

Money can buy lots of things. It can buy shiny new facilities. It can buy stadium renovations. It can rent out a band to meet you on the tarmac.

But money can’t buy genuine appreciation.

And that’s what Haggins and Taggart have shown in the week since Fisher left.

Feels good, doesn’t it?

Joshua Mixon is the lead columnist for The Daily Nole. You can find him on Twitter @JoshDMixon.