Florida State has yet to announce Willie Taggart as its new head coach, but Oregon has announce he’s no longer theirs. The Ducks acknowledged Taggart’s impending departure in a news release Tuesday, and named offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal as interim head coach.
Taggart went 7-5 in his one season leading the program.
“We thank Willie for his efforts at Oregon, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future,” AD Rob Mullens said in a statement.
Cristobal is expected to be a candidate for the full-time position, and an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl next Saturday against No. 25 Boise State will provide a nice audition, assuming the search lasts that long.
“I am grateful to Mario Cristobal for his willingness to step up and lead our program through our upcoming bowl game,” Mullens said. “The University of Oregon is a high-caliber academic institution with one of the premier college football programs in the country, and we are confident that we will find another outstanding coach to lead our tremendous group of student-athletes into the future.”
Cristobal was FIU’s head coach from 2007-12 and is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country.