Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Austin Reiter likes the job Willie Taggart is doing at USF

Bulls Austin Reiter praises coach Taggart









USF center and Lakewood Ranch product Austin Reiter says he likes the energy the new coaching staff under Willie Taggart brings to the program.
"They want to win games, that's the whole mantra they have and that's what we want to do," Reiter says. "The camaraderie on the team is a lot better. Every coach wants to win, but coach Taggart has fun with it. The music we have in practice that really helps."
Reiter started all 12 games for USF last season and is on the Rimington Trophy Watch List that goes to the top center in college football.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Mike Galati becomes third offensive lineman to commit to USF

Mike Galati was out fishing last weekend when he got the word that USF head football coach Willie Taggart offered him a scholarship.

It was the one the Manatee High offensive lineman had been waiting for, but when he returned from his fishing trip he couldn’t get a hold of Taggart.

To the relief of the 6-3, 280 pounder, the two finally hooked up Thursday and he was able to give Taggart a verbal non-binding offer he doesn’t see changing.

“I’ve been wanting to commit all week. When we finally talked I was so happy and so was coach Taggart,” Galati said. “He welcomed me into the family. They have always been my number one choice for a lot reasons. They are only an hour away so my family can go to all the games and I like coaching staff.

“I first met coach Taggart on junior day at USF and he is such an exciting person.  I like the offense he runs and his style of running a program and the way he talks about his program.”

Galati is the third offensive linemen in the class of 2014 that has committed to USF. He will be going into his third year as a starter at Manatee and said he expects to play tackle. He played guard last year and tight-end as a sophomore.

 When he arrives at USF for the 2014 season he will join another Manatee County offensive lineman in Bulls center Austin Reiter, who is a graduate of Lakewood Ranch.

Galati’s main recruiter is Ray Woodie, the former head coach at his alma mater Palmetto and previously at Bayshore. Taggart is a Manatee High legend who went on to set a slew of records at Western Kentucky where he started for four years.