Willie Taggart to join Baltimore Ravens coaching staff

(AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

Former Oregon Ducks head coach Willie Taggart reportedly will take his first NFL coaching gig, per ESPN.

The Baltimore Ravens are tabbing Taggart as their new running backs coach. The Ravens recently hired a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, the play-caller for the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Monken replaced Greg Roman, who resigned earlier this offseason.

SOURCE: Former FAU/FSU/Oregon/USF/WKU head coach Willie Taggart is heading to the NFL to become the Ravens RB coach. Taggart who was a star QB for Jack Harbaugh, coached RBs for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. @TomPelissero first reported the move.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 22, 2023

Taggart spent one season as Oregon Ducks head coach in 2017. He replaced Mark Helfrich, who was fired after the 2016 season when the Ducks finished 4-8, their first sub-.500 season since 2004.

Oregon finished 7-6 that season including a 38-28 loss to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Taggart’s public flirtation with Florida State in late stages of the season served a major distraction to the program, ultimately ending with Taggart leaving Eugene for what he considered his dream job in Tallahassee.

Taggart lasted 21 games at FSU, going 9-12, before being fired.

Taggart also was part of a $125.5 Million lawsuit filed by former Ducks offensive lineman Doug Brenner against the NCAA, University of Oregon, Taggart, and strength coach Irele Oderinde, following a series of workouts in early 2017 in Taggart’s first months as head coach that resulted in the hospitalization of three players including Brenner. The lawsuit was settled in May 2022.

Taggart was hired at Florida Atlantic as head coach in 2020 but was fired after three seasons.

In Baltimore, he reunites with Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh. Taggart played for and coached under Jim’s father, Jack Harbaugh, at Western Kentucky.

The Ravens are in the midst of negotiating a potential long-term contract for star quarterback and former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Jackson missed 5 games last season with a knee injury, but Baltimore still managed to make the postseason as the 6-seed in the AFC, and had their division-rival Cincinnati on the ropes in the fourth quarter of the Wild Card round before ultimately losing to the Bengals 24-17.