Head Coach Willie Taggart’s reputation is ringing true.

He’s lured what should end up as one of the Sun Belt Conference’s smallest, yet most lucrative 2010 classes to Western in just two months. And Taggart’s coaching staff — both young and fiery — is a direct reflection of himself.

Additionally, much like former coach David Elson, Western couldn’t ask for much more away from the field. Taggart’s already made appearances at the KHSAA State Championships and multiple basketball games.

But a large question still looms — a question Taggart can’t overcome by simply painting a pretty picture in the offseason.

Can he lead every aspect of the team as a head coach, not just as an assistant?

Because that’s what Taggart’s former boss and predecessor Elson couldn’t do. It’s where a young coach, known more for luring talent than developing it, could fall short.

It’s also the only thing that’s kept Western from winning in the past.

With the exception of losses to Tennessee and Middle Tennessee, the Toppers were in every game at halftime last season. But as the second half drew ahead, Western lost grips, turning one-possession games into blowouts.

Under Elson, talent kept the Toppers close. Coaching, or a lack of it, let games get away.

Elson said more than once that he didn’t believe in halftime adjustments. That “football is football,” and there’s only so much preparation a coach can do. But Elson’s methods didn’t work, and the Toppers gave up fourth-quarter leads in two of their last three games.

There’s no denying that Taggart’s set to bring more talent in, especially after seeing the crowd of recruits watching from the rafters on Saturday as the men’s basketball team knocked off New Orleans.

Among them was Rivals.com four-star quarterback Brion Carnes, who according to reports has expressed serious interest in becoming a Topper. Also set to join Western on Wednesday’s National Signing Day are four three-star recruits and a slew of two-star prospects.

However, a class that will have 15 members — at the most — won’t turn an 0-12 team into one that wins right away.

First, it’s going to take coaching. That’s why Taggart’s now head coach at Western and Elson isn’t.

For Taggart to be successful as more than a recruiter, he’ll have to change the reputation that landed him a head coaching gig at Western — one as a coach that can develop players just as much as attract them.

The Toppers didn’t win a game this season and haven’t in their last 20 contests dating back to September 2008, but former Head Coach David Elson said he is convinced he built a foundation for them to build on for next year.

Elson chose to recruit high school seniors over junior college transfers as Western went through a multi-year transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision. That led him to put together a roster that this season consisted of 57 freshmen and sophomores out of 85 scholarship players.

After a 24-20 loss to Arkansas State last Thursday, Elson said he reassured the team that Western is only going to get better.

“I told those young guys, I said, ‘Look, you’ve got a great example of leadership through adversity, and you’ve got a lot of great experience this year as football players through 12 games, and that’s going to do nothing but help you in the future,’” Elson said. “This stings, and it’s going to sting for a little bit, but it’s going to be time to turn that page here soon enough and start getting ready for next year.”

Based on the Toppers’ depth chart against the Red Wolves, Head Coach Willie Taggart should inherit 18 returning starters for his first season at the head of the program. That includes Western’s leading passer, redshirt freshman Kawaun Jakes; top rusher, sophomore running back Bobby Rainey; and leading tackler, junior linebacker Thomas Majors.

Getting young players through a tough season and allowing them to see the passion it takes to win FBS football games was important to next season’s success, senior linebacker Taurean Smith said.

“Them guys, they’re young,” Smith said. “They’ve got experience now. They’re going to win games next year.”

Along with returning a winning attitude to Western, Taggart said he expects to match the academic standards set forth by Elson, whose teams have had 100 percent graduation rates every year since 2002.

Taggart had his first meeting with the team on Friday afternoon, and he said one of his messages to players was for them to finish the semester strong academically.

Taggart spent the last three seasons as running backs coach at Stanford, his first collegiate coaching experience outside Bowling Green. He said there’s little contrast between the goals there and at Western.

“The only difference is that they don’t settle for anything,” Taggart said. “So we’re not going to settle for anything. We’re not just going to settle for being average — not on the football field and not in the classroom. I don’t want to deal with just average kids. I don’t want to deal with lazy kids. I want kids that want to be the best.”

Head Coach David Elson learned on Nov. 8 that he wouldn’t be retained after the Toppers’ season ended.

But he maintained a “business as usual” approach to the season’s final three games, barely acknowledging the team might be dealing with any external distractions.

Elson said he adopted the mentality from advice he received from former Western coach Cap Boso.

“’When times get tough, there’s only one thing you can do, and that’s work and keep working,’” Elson said. “When you really think about it, what that really does is keeps you from letting your mind wander places it doesn’t need to and affect your attitude in the way you’re looking at things.”

Senior wide receiver Jake Gaebler said the businesslike mentality wasn’t anything new for the Toppers, but he admires the coach for continuing that approach.

“He’s preached that since day one, just approaching every day like a business,” Gaebler said. “Even with the circumstances that happened with him and that whole situation, he still took the same approach, and that’s another thing I respect about him. He didn’t change who he was or the way he approached this team.”

Though Western carried an 18-game losing streak into Thursday night’s game against Arkansas State, the Toppers have continued to hold their coach in high regard.

Senior center Cody Hughes said Elson’s influence has meant far more to him than Western’s record.

“The way he told us to do things and the way he wanted things done — the morals and the values and the traditions that he’s put in us — I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Hughes said during Tuesday’s practice. “I’d rather be 0-11 at this point going into my last game with what that man’s taught me than playing for a bowl game right now.”

Hughes said he realizes fans might judge the Toppers based on wins and losses, but he hopes Elson is remembered as a man who instilled the players with the desire to be perceived as “men of great character.”

“That’s exactly what coach Elson has put in us for our five years,” Hughes said. “No matter what, you always do it right and you always do it to the best of your ability.”

Elson said his main priorities were that players leave Western as better people, with meaningful degrees and having gained the experience of competing at a high level.

Though he took a career 39-42 record into Thursday’s game, Elson said he has no regrets about his 14 years with the Toppers.

“I think any time you leave someplace, to me, you ask yourself a question — is it better than when I got here?” he said. “And I think I can look in the mirror and say, ‘Yes it is. It is better in a lot of ways.’”

It’s been a week since Western announced the firing of Head Football Coach David Elson, and already there’s an intriguing storyline shaping up for the coming weeks and months.

How does the Western administration, specifically President Gary Ransdell and Athletics Director Wood Selig, respond to growing criticism within the Western community?

We heard support on numerous occasions for Elson and the job he was doing from Selig, who often preached patience.

But last Monday, it all took a sharp left turn.

Faculty Regent Patricia Minter said much of the criticism she is hearing about the situation has less to do with Elson and more with Ransdell and Selig saying one thing and doing another.

“We’re faculty of a university, we’re trained to analyze things, and we get very upset when we’re told that something is black when it is clearly white or when something is up when it’s clearly down,” Minter said. “I think going forward, what needs to happen is the spin needs to stop and it’s time for a new era of honesty.”

Now Selig is faced with bringing in a coach that will ignite interest in the fanbase and put a successful product on the field.

The other hot topic in the coming weeks: How much will the next coach be paid?

Elson earned $250,000 a year, but that number presumably will go up for the next coach. That will potentially leave more ground for faculty to be upset on the basis that after years of no raises, a new football coach could come in and be one of the top-five highest paid employees at Western.

“(The salaries are) marketplace driven,” Selig said. “Neither (Ransdell) or I have set the rate. The market place sets salaries, not just in the coaching profession but every profession. There is a market place, and there is a going rate. And again, we didn’t set it, but we need to play by those rules.”

There’s still disagreement out there about Western moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, but that’s in the past. We can only look forward now.

Minter said that if Western is going to give Selig and the next coach FBS-level pay, then the faculty need to be paid at that rate as well.

“I can understand the faculty being concerned about the level of compensation, especially when it is compared to their compensation,” Selig said. “I get that, and I understand it, and I don’t necessarily disagree with them either. I think it’s absurd, some of the salaries being tossed around in college athletics.”

Western has entered a market where, according to a recent report by USA Today, 81 of the current 120 FBS coaches earn at least $1 million annually, and 12 of those coaches earn at least $3 million.

Ransdell’s dream of FBS football has been a nightmare early on.

Now the weight rests squarely on Selig’s shoulders to bring in a home-run hire to get this thing where Ransdell wants it to be.

And as we all know, what Ransdell wants, Ransdell often gets.

Only time and more money will tell on this one.