The hiring of Florida State head coach Willie Taggart last December was historic in nature for a couple of reasons.
Not only was it FSU’s first true coaching search since the hiring of the legendary Bobby Bowden in 1976, but Taggart became the first full-time black head coach in the history of the football program. With the addition of Taggart, FSU also became the only Power 5 program to have both a black head football and men’s basketball coach.
This week, Taggart looks to pick up his first ACC win as head man of the Seminoles. Taggart and crew will head north to take on Louisville in a contest that the first-year man also hopes will be his first road win at FSU.
When it comes Florida State football and the color barrier, the Louisville Cardinals have also played a significant role in that — mostly indirectly.
According to an archived article from the Tallahassee Democrat, the 1954 contest between the Seminoles and Cardinals would be the first time in FSU history that it played against black players. Three of those players were starters for Louisville.
Fast forward 16 years later and it would also be Louisville who FSU faced for the first time with a black player in the lineup. J.T. Thomas, a defensive back, became the first black football player at Florida State and his debut came in the 1970 season opener against Louisville.
Thomas not only made history for the Seminoles that day, but he also made plays. Thomas was responsible for the block of two kicks that day, including a 28-yard attempt with 17 seconds to play that preserved a 9-7 victory. Thomas would go on to be an All-American at FSU, a Pro Bowl defensive back and a 4-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since Thomas broke the program’s color barrier in 1970, the Seminoles have had hundreds of African American players, dozens of black All-Americans and two black Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks. The last point — believe it or not — is something no other program can say.
Should it come Saturday, Taggart hopes his first ACC win will be just a blip on a laundry list of accomplishments at Florida State. Taggart has made it no secret that he wants to win a national championship and become the first black coach to do so. That goal falls under the “long term” category. For now, Taggart is just trying to get over .500 for the first time in his short Florida State tenure.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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