Harbaugh's offense works if you have Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan behind center, an OL that can pass block really well and a serviceable RB to keep D's honest. And in the end, USF wasn't running Harbaugh's pro-style offense. You can't run that offense and have a QB with 1,000 yds rushing. They ran a variation of the spread, or at least it morphed into that. I always thought Taggart was more a D guy anyway. There have been some really weird hires by the P5s this year. I still don't think Rhule or Taggart are the right fits for where they ended up and both are going to be smiling to the bank when they get fired in 3 years for these being disasters (and I think Rhule is a great coach). Houston, if it hires Lincoln Riley, is going to continue to be beastlike, but they can't go wrong with Orlando either.
I have some inside ties to the team. The playing calling and the outdated West Coast concepts he was using was totally unsuited for his players. They lost 20 of their first 24 games. It wasn't until Quentin Flowers started checking down to plays in the shotgun on the scout team rather than running stuff under center that Taggart and his former OC made him run that the team started to breathe life. The players began to openly demand they return to the spread offenses they were used to in high school. It was basically that mutiny and the personal talents of Flowers emerging off the scout team into the starters role that put them in the position they are in today. When that is rewarded with a multi-million contract, you are a joke and people know it. Oregon will find out soon enough. They have the money and talent to hide his deficiencies at 6-6 or whatever, but he is far from the championship mind they are seeking. He does know how to manage his staff, which could be a big factor in his success at a large program like Oregon, I will say that.
Oregon seemed to hire the biggest name who won games. It doesn't seem to be a great fit for either side except for the $$. Frost would have been better there and I think Helfrich rode Frost's understanding of the offense (and Kelly's last few recruits) to some great seasons. However, a lot of Chip Kelly's recruiting tactics were questionable as well (we all remember the questions surrounding LaMichael James' and Lache Seastrunk's recruitment to Oregon and the use of a 'recruiting service" that was more probable than not a recruit runner steering kids to the program that paid him the most). Helfrich didn't use the same "services" and wasn't getting the same talent level of recruits. Taggart will be gone in 3 years from Oregon.
It sounds like you or your "inside ties" hold a personal grudge towards the guy. But if you remember how bad Western Kentucky was before he got there, and the way he turned them around, you can't call him a bad coach. You might not like that he empowered his players, and that's fine. But he figured out how to win games. Calling it an open rebellion or mutiny is rather misguided if you've actually been anywhere near the sideline and listened to him talk to his players. There's a healthy respect there.
Kelly also had guys like LaMichael James and Blount and Mariotta. Oregon doesn't have the same talent level. Initially it was new and innovative, but they were still effective after 5+ years, the difference under Helfrich was the talent level that Kelly left behind never got replenished to the same level. I think Taggart will struggle in the recruiting area. It's easy to recruit in Florida and convince a kid to stay somewhat close to home. Tons of talent there. Now he's going to have to go to California where he doesn't have the extensive HS connections and convince a kid that coming to Oregon is better than staying at USC, UCLA, Stanford, or Cal. The promise of lots of free shoes only goes so far.
