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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 19, 2018

Willie Taggart

Greensboro, North Carolina

WILLIE TAGGART: We wrapped up our spring practice this last weekend. Unbelievable showing out of our crowd. It was a really nice environment to be around. Had a lot of former players back which was pretty cool to see, over 300 former players back on campus. Just seeing the energy and morale of everyone, having Coach Bowden back and hearing the crowd cheer for him was really awesome for me personally.

We got some things accomplished in the spring ball that we wanted to. So we got out of the spring game pretty healthy, so that was a good thing for us. Now it's moving on to the off-season with a lot of positive momentum, and it's up to us to continue to build on that positive momentum now.

Q. You talked about the spring game atmosphere and bringing Coach Bowden back and the crowd that was there. I know you, yourself and a lot of your assistants have been very active on social media, the way you've gotten out in the community. How much, in terms of being a first year coach at a place like Florida State and certainly giving your historical ties to the program, how big of a priority was it for you just to sort of engage the greater Florida State community and the history of the school and that kind of stuff?
WILLIE TAGGART: Well, I think for me personally, it was just coming and trying to do what I thought Florida State was from afar, you know. So I'm just trying to live up to that. I always thought it was about family and football and faith, which Coach Bowden believed in.

We have so much tradition here. Coming back, I didn't feel it as much. I didn't feel we were really connected like we needed to be. So we tried to put emphasis on just getting everyone back involved, people that built the program and made it to what it is today, and let them know we appreciate it. I think it's important that our football team understand those people that came before them as well.

Because they're a big reason why they decided to come to Florida State.

Q. Is there any sort of long-term issues with Deondre Francois given some of the off-the-field stuff that came out recently?
WILLIE TAGGART: As I mentioned it before, we're handling it internally. Deondre knows he needs to be better at decision-making, and he knows he needs to do a great job at who he's around and what he's around. He understands the expectation, and I think he'll live up to it.

Q. Coach, I'm curious, when does the game planning, the film study for your season opener begin?
WILLIE TAGGART: It already started. Our guys got an introduction to Virginia Tech, and some of the things they'd like to do. They're able to practice some of those things in spring ball, and will be able to carry those over in the off-season. But it started already. It started our preparation and understanding what we're doing and how we're doing it, so we can continue to get better at it. Then when it comes time for game time, they should have a better understanding of our opponent.

Q. Do you know Coach Fuente? Have you crossed paths much?
WILLIE TAGGART: We have. Justin and I actually played against each other in college, and we both are AAC brethren. We both came from that conference and faced each other. Been knowing each other for a while. Great dude and great coach.

Q. How did the spring process go in terms of implementing your spread type of offense? How has the offense adjusted to it so far? Is it a good match for the current group of players?
WILLIE TAGGART: I thought it went well. I thought our guys picked up on it fairly quickly. I thought the big adjustment was practicing without a huddle and going a little faster than what they did before. So our guys had to learn to think a lot quicker so they could react quicker the way we need them to, but I thought it's good. Not only for our offense, but our defense too to be facing it every day. So they have a better understanding of how to deal with it as well.

But I thought our guys picked up on our schemes, understanding the foundation of what we're trying to build here within the offense. Yes, I do think we have guys here that can run the offense.

Q. On the other side of the ball, how will the defense look with Coach Barnett and his philosophy?
WILLIE TAGGART: He's more of a 4-2-5 guy, and I think you see a guy being fast, physical and aggressive on that side of the ball.

It's something Coach Barnett believes in and I believe in, and the way that we need to play. Allow our guys to play football and not be confused. They show a discipline and they're technique sound.

Q. In the last few seasons there's been a lot of competition between the ACC and SEC as the best conference on the field and loading up prospects to the NFL Draft. I just want to get your impressions on the league and the competition you'll be facing in your tenure?
WILLIE TAGGART: I think both conferences are elite. You look at the last two National Championships that came within these two conferences. I think you look around, not only to football, basketball, baseball, whatever it is, you see schools in both conference doing a great job. They're both in the south, which gives them both an advantage.

Again, they both produce NFL players and have good coaches and good players. I'm excited to be a part of it and being able to have all those things that everybody else has.

Q. Just to go off what you were saying earlier about what you've done already at Florida State to make your mark and kind of change some things or improve some things?
WILLIE TAGGART: Just trying to get better in what we're doing, trying to implement the way we do things. Change the culture to how we want it and have great coaches in here to mentor and hold our guys accountable to doing what they say they're going to do. I know what I thought Florida State has always been and should be, and going to try to implement that vision with everyone around and get it back to a championship level.

So it's just doing what we do and trying to do it better than anyone else, and continue to recruit great players here, hold them accountable and trying to live up to the expectations that we all signed up for.

Q. Then as far as your road from South Florida to Oregon, back to the State of Florida with Florida State, just what you've learned from that time period and spending some time on the west coast, and just what you took away from that opportunity and how you've improved as a coach coming into Florida State?
WILLIE TAGGART: Well, I think when it comes to coaching, it's always the same no matter where you're at. It's all about getting the young people to be better as a football player, as a person and academically helping them achieve what they want to achieve. Those things don't change. I think from a structural standpoint athletically, it probably changes. South Florida was totally different than Oregon. You know, Oregon had great resources and great fan base and good football players.

Q. What was your major goal going into spring practice this year other than coming out healthy?
WILLIE TAGGART: Well, our guys have a clear understanding of what we want to do offensively, especially defensively. I thought it was really important that we teach our guys the foundation of what we're doing in every aspect so that they can go into the off-season when they have to train and do things on their own, they have an understanding of what the coaches want. I thought our guys, coaches did a great job of implementing that with our players, and they did a good job of understanding it.

It's going to be key for them going into the off-season to get better with some of those things that we went over in spring ball.

Q. In spring, what is the hardest position to develop in your mind?
WILLIE TAGGART: I think all of them. I think they all are unique. I think it takes really good planning and a good understanding of what you're trying to develop. Like I said, but I think each positions are different, and I think each coach is different. Rather than trying to develop a complete person, I think you develop certain things to eventually get the player to be what it needs to be.

Each position is different, quarterback is different than the O-line. O-line is different from the receiver. But they're all difficult because of all the distractions and everything else that comes with playing big-time college football, and not as much time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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