Western Kentucky’s football program was on life support before Willie Taggart arrived in the fall of 1994.
Taggart was a wiry state champion quarterback from Manatee High who possessed a winning attitude and exuded confidence on the field. The Hilltoppers were searching for a player to pump life into a program that was on the brink of being eliminated.
Not long before Taggart arrived, WKU’s Board of Regents had voted by the slimmest of margins, 5-4, to keep the program.
Taggart, who led the Hurricanes to the Class 5A state title in 1992 and a state runner-up finish in ’93, was the Hilltoppers’ last hope. And he did not disappoint.
Taggart led the Hilltoppers to two playoff appearances and was a two-time Division I-AA All-American, shattering several national records.
For his efforts, Taggart will be inducted into the 19th class of the Western Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.
“I had a great career and helped turn the program around,” Taggart said. “I gave it my all. And my all got me to the hall of fame.”
Taggart finished his four-year career at WKU as the top rushing quarterback in Division I-AA history with 3,997 yards. As a senior, Taggart won the 1998 I-AA Independents’ Offensive Player of the Year.
“I went in with the attitude that I thought I could do it,” Taggart said. “Being from the Manatee County area, we all have that arrogance that we are the best thing out there. Whether I was or not, that was for somebody else to say, but I thought I was.”
Taggart followed a long line of star quarterbacks at Manatee, but Frank Turner, Taggart’s position coach in high school and a friend, attributes the Palmetto native’s success to his work ethic and attitude.
“He gave us great leadership for what he did on the field,” Turner said. “He was a student of the game and in the classroom.”
Taggart, who’s now an offensive backs coach at Stanford, won’t be present at the ceremony because the Cardinal are hosting Oregon on Saturday in a pivotal Pac-10 game.
His college coach, Jack Harbaugh, will stand in for him. Taggart later served as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator and helped lead WKU to the 2002 Division I-AA national title.
At Stanford, Taggart coaches under Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh, Jack’s son, who recruited Taggart out of high school.
Taggart has become an extension of the Harbaugh family.
The elder Harbaugh said standing in for Taggart is like accepting an honor for his son.
“He put our program on his shoulders and carried us,” Jack Harbaugh said. “I’m deeply indebted to him for that. To be able to go down and accept this award for him is one of the highlights of my professional career.”
Taggart feels equally obligated to the Harbaugh family.
Not only does he coach under Jim and played and coached under Jack, but Taggart has interned under Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, the oldest of the Harbaugh brothers.
“My life’s been going up ever since I went to Western,” said Taggart, who aspires to be a head coach someday. “They took me and showed me the ropes. I often tell people they took me from Oakwood (Apartments) to Hollywood. I’ve been able to build a career.”
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