Taggert just put together an impressive staff at Oregon:
Willie Taggart has completed his full-time coaching staff at Oregon.
With the addition of Raymond Woodie as special teams coordinator, Taggart has his nine full-time assistants and head strength coach.
The potential addition of a 10th assistant coach in a few months could change things, but for now, here is the 2017 Oregon staff:
Despite moving across the country, Taggart is keeping a number of those ties to Florida.
He brought co-offensive coordinator / tight ends coach
David Reaves, running backs coach
Donte Pimpleton and special teams coordinator
Raymond Woodie from USF. All three have deep ties in the state. Woodie is a former conference recruiter of the year. Taggart also brought several staffers with him from USF.
Then there’s the addition of co-offensive coordinator / offensive line coach
Mario Cristobal from Alabama. Cristobal is one of the top recruiters in the country in Florida and is a former FIU head coach.
It’s expected that Taggart will continue to call offensive plays, as he did a year ago. Based on the setup, it’s possible Taggart could coach quarterbacks, or Reaves could, which he did at USF. It could also be a spot for the potential 10th assistant.
The last offensive spot, wide receivers coach
Jimmie Dougherty, has a history with Jim Harbaugh, as Taggart does. Dougherty was a Michigan offensive analyst in 2016 and worked under Harbaugh at San Diego from 2004-06. Dougherty brings West Coast ties, also working at Washington and San Jose State.
To run the defense, Taggart hired
Jim Leavitt, who turned around the Colorado defense in two years. It’s a partnership between two former USF head coaches. He brings a little Pac-12 experience and previously worked under Harbaugh with the 49ers.
Leavitt also brought
Charles Clark with him from Colorado to coach cornerbacks. Clark spent four years coaching defensive backs at Colorado and previously worked at SJSU. Safeties coach
Keith Heyward comes from Louisville, but has deep West Coast ties through work at USC, Washington, Oregon State and Cal Poly.
Defensive line coach
Joe Salave’a spent five years at Washington State, improving WSU’s pass rush and run defense. He and previously worked at Arizona and San Jose State and received a new contract at Washington State last year.
Taggart brought head strength coach Irele Oderinde with him from USF, but Oderinde has been suspended for a month after three players were hospitalized during winter workouts. Previous head strength coach Jim Radcliffe was retained by Taggart in a lesser role and now takes over again on an interim basis.
Taggart’s first three games as Oregon head coach will be against Southern Utah, Nebraska and at Wyoming.