When college football coach, Willie Taggart, signed a lucrative extension with the University of Florida to keep him through 2020, he placed his Tampa home on the market for $1.3 million.
It's not sure if he's going for an upgrade but surely he's not going to downsize. The impressive 7,223-square-foot mansion with a Mediterranean style has six bedrooms and five full bathrooms. It is nestled on a half-acre lot among woodlands in the neighborhood of Tampa Palms.
The mansion has great features of a huge chef's kitchen with spacious wood cabinetry, a theater, a large entertainment area that includes a bar and a gaming area, and an enclosed pool area with a built-in barbecue pit.
According to the Realtor report, the mansion was purchased by Taggart in 2013, shortly after starting his first season with the Bulls. The coach's first two seasons had lackluster records. However, in 2015, the coach rallied the team to an improved 8-5 season and an appearance in the Miami Beach Bowl. That 2015 success gave him the opportunity to sign for an extension through 2020.
The listing agent of the property is Karen Tillman.
Taggart comes to the University of South Florida after spending three seasons as head coach at Western Kentucky, his alma mater, where he led a dramatic turnaround for the Hilltoppers. Prior to leading the WKU, he had a successful run at Stanford that helped build the Cardinals into a national power.
Before his arrival at WKU, the team had lost 20 consecutive games. With just one year of transition, he guided the school to two consecutive winning seasons, which culminated to a first bowl appearance in the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, as reported by Gousfbulls news.
WKU has won seven of its last eight games. The only loss came to No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge. The Hilltoppers finished second in the league. Their only league-loss was to eventual champion Arkansas State.