Taggart Hires Mickey Andrews as Special Assistant

A beloved former member of the Florida State football program is returning to the team in a new role. Head coach Willie Taggart announced on Friday afternoon that former defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has been hired as a special assistant to the head coach.

Andrews held the defensive coordinator job under Bobby Bowden from 1984 to 2009. During his tenure, Florida State became a top program and gained a reputation for producing NFL talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Seminoles had 19 first-round draft picks and nine top-10 selections from Andrews’ defenses. Andrews was elected to the FSU Hall of Fame in 2010.

The press release from Florida State did not mention the exact duties of the position. Presumably Andrews will provide some input on the program and help Taggart manage the day-to-day responsibilities at the school. He has not coached in college football since he retired after the 2009 season.

Hiring Andrews is another step by Willie Taggart to bring back the Florida State vibe that he mentioned throughout the first days of his tenure. Former icons like Bobby Bowden and star players have come back to Tallahassee to show their support for the new head coach, who constantly raves about the traditional view of Florida State in the college football world.

In his introductory press conference, he talked about the toughness and intimidation of the old Florida State defenses that Andrews coached. While Andrews might not have input from a strategy or personnel perspective, he’ll be around the program enough to give advice.

Clint Eiland is the Lead Writer at The Daily Nole. Follow him on Twitter @ClintEiland.