USF football head coach Willie Taggart visited USF St. Petersburg on Friday afternoon, becoming the first coach in the history of the 
program to visit the campus.
The event, called “Locker Room Lunch” presented by USFSP Student Government in the University Student Center, provided both the campus and the St. Petersburg community with a free opportunity to meet with the Bulls’ newest leader. Taggart, a Bradenton native who graduated from Manatee High School, appeared to be right at home during his first visit.
After an introduction from USF System President Judy Genshaft, coach Taggart began the event with a conversation with Jim Louk, the radio voice of USF football. The conversation provided insight into Taggart’s journey to USF and why he chose to come take this job after being pursued by schools such as Wisconsin and Auburn.
“One reason is the passion that our fanbase has here in the state of Florida and in the Tampa area,” Taggart said. “Being around a program that is very passionate, a young program where the sky’s the limit, a program I really believe is a sleeping giant. Not often in this profession do you get the chance to come back home and be the head coach. That’s a big part of it, too.”
When asked how he planned to change the culture of USF football, Taggart noted that support from USFSP would be critical to the Bulls’ success this season. Though the campus and its students are geographically separated from Raymond James Stadium, cultivating passion for the football program throughout the region is one of Taggart’s foremost goals.
“They brought me here to turn it around, but I can’t do it by myself,” Taggart said to the lunch crowd. “It’s going to take every single one of us, including our students here at USF St. Pete. We’re all Bulls. We need to go into Raymond James and make it very, very hard for any opposing team to come into that stadium.”
Local fans were eager to ask Coach Taggart questions about his expectations for the upcoming season and beyond during the question and answer session that followed his talk. Fans asked Taggart questions ranging from his plans for the field to his home life. The 300 people on hand for the event got to know the new coach in a more familiar way.
Interim Regional Chancellor Bill Hogarth declared that the “Locker Room Lunch” was something that should become an annual event. Hogarth and the crowd seemed appreciative of Taggart’s enthusiasm about USF and the community.
“Our vision is to win multiple championships in a first-class manner,” Taggart said. “I want to make everyone proud. This is my area, and I want the entire country to know about USF. But it won’t be Coach Taggart doing it all; it’s going to be all of us.”
Samantha Ouimette is the sports editor of The Crow’s Nest. She can be reached at sports@crowsneststpete.com.
Photos by Thomas Boyd.
