Athletics Director Wood Selig said on Monday that four other candidates were interviewed for the head coach position over the weekend.
Along with new Head Coach Willie Taggart, the search committee talked to Chicago Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, Duke defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre and Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino.
Taggart has already helped rebuild one program as running backs coach at Stanford. He said by employing the “Stanford Model” at Western, the Toppers should be back to winning immediately.
“At Stanford, coach (Jim) Harbaugh created a competitive environment every day, and that’s what I’m looking to bring here at Western Kentucky,” Taggart said. “This is a tremendous university with first-class facilities, and there will be no reason why we cannot win here.”
Taggart will evaluate current coaching staff
Before fully staffing from his own list of contacts, Taggart — who said he is family-oriented — plans to give each member of fired Head Coach David Elson’s staff an interview.
Taggart said he will use a West Coast-style offense and a 4-3 defense, and that he expects any coach hired to work within those boundaries.
Western currently runs a spread offense and 3-4 defense.
Recruiting begins next week for Taggart
Stanford will play in its first bowl game since 2001 this season. While Taggart said he expects to be there, he also wants to be out on the recruiting trail on Western’s behalf after the Cardinal’s final regular-season game, this Saturday against Notre Dame.
Selig said Taggart’s lasting recruiting connections to Florida, Georgia and Kentucky factored into the hiring.
Taggart added that Western’s new facilities will make it easier for him to continue to recruit from the whole nation and not just a region.
“Being an alum, I talk to some of my former teammates,” Taggart said. “We always talk about how when we were here, how it would be nice to have another side of the stadium — how it would be nice to have a locker room where it don’t rain in.”
Taggart said he hasn’t yet spoken with the current team and will wait to do so until after the Toppers’ regular season ends against Arkansas State on Dec. 3.
Crennel, team played part in decision
Athletics Director Wood Selig threw former Western great Romeo Crennel’s name out of contention for the job early in the coaching search, but Selig said Crennel ultimately had a hand in finding the right person for the job.
“We received input from a large number of people,” Selig said. “We have also been fortunate to receive tremendous insight from Romeo Crennel. Crennel has talked to numerous individuals on behalf of his alma mater, and his input has been extremely valuable.”
Selig also said the search committee met with the Unity Council, composed of current football players, to define “who they felt would be the model head coach.”
The Unity Council’s recommendations matched up with the search committee’s ideas about what attributes a new coach should possess, and Taggart fit that description perfectly, Selig said.
Taggart’s contract not set in stone
Selig said that most details have been worked out on Taggart’s contract, but a final sum and benefits aren’t yet set in stone. Taggart has hired an agent and will work through him on the proceedings.
Selig said the finalized contract will be available to anyone who wants it.
He said the contract and those of Taggart’s incoming staff members should closely match up with the contracts of current football staff members.
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