Western Kentucky University Football Coach Willie Taggart Is Deserving Of Higher Salary.

WKU coach deserving of higher salary
By the Daily News

When Willie Taggart accepted the head coaching position in Western Kentucky University’s football program, he knew he had an uphill battle ahead of him, but to his credit, he saw the position as a challenge and an opportunity.

Taggart took over after WKU had moved into Division I-A football in the Sun Belt Conference. David Elson started as the head coach in the new division and conference without much success. He was ultimately fired.

Taggart, a WKU alumnus and former record-setting quarterback for the Hilltoppers, came to WKU two years ago to coach when morale was low and the team was struggling to win. Taggart was 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the Sun Belt in his first years at WKU.

It was a tough transition for Taggart and his team. The pundits and WKU alumni and fans were rightfully upset that their team wasn’t performing as well as they had hoped.

During the 2011 season, Taggart and his team started winning some tough conference games.

The Hilltoppers ended at 7-5 this past season, winning seven of their final eight games and seven straight in SBC play.

The program’s turnaround is beyond commendable. It is a true success story.

Taggart has proven he is a coach who can recruit, motivate and win. We believe the administration took the right step by giving him a significant raise and a contract extension.

On Wednesday, it was announced that beginning with his third year as WKU’s coach, Taggart will make a $475,000 base salary - up from $225,000.

Taggart’s contract has also been extended through 2019. The contract also stated that Taggart can receive a 15 percent base salary increase should the Hilltoppers reach eight wins in any season and a 5 percent increase in the base salary should WKU win eight or more in any subsequent season.

A number of other incentives were included in the pay package. WKU assistant coaches’ salaries will be increased by 20 percent.

Taggart has had a significant impact on this program during his short tenure. We believe that the best days of this young coach are ahead of him, and we commend WKU for acting decisively to send a tangible message that the university wants him to be a part of Hilltopper football for the long term.