Former Florida State assistant reuniting with Willie Taggart
The major coaching changes are probably about done at this point of the offseason but there are still some smaller moves to be made.
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On Thursday, it was reported that former Florida State running backs coach Donte' Pimpleton would be reuniting with Willie Taggart at Florida Atlantic in the same role. Pimpleton was the Seminoles running backs coach under Taggart in 2018-19.
During his time in Tallahassee, Pimpleton coached star running backs such as Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick. Despite the talent, the running game struggled to get going under the direction of Taggart and Pimpleton. Florida State averaged just 2.79 yards per carry in 2018 and 3.83 yards per carry in 2019.
Following Taggart's firing, Pimpleton landed at North Carolina Central as the wide receivers coach. He never coached in a game after COVID-19 hit and the pandemic forced the Eagles to cancel their 2020 season and 2021 spring season.
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In August, former colleague and then Massachusetts head coach, Walt Bell, hired Pimpleton as running backs coach. He made his return to Florida State during the fall as the Minutemen lost 59-3.
Prior to the end of the season, Bell was fired after going 2-23 in nearly three years at Massachusetts. The change meant Pimpleton was looking for a job once again and he found it in Boca Raton.
Florida Atlantic will be the fifth different college program that Pimpleton has worked with Taggart at (Western Kentucky, USF, Oregon, Florida State, and FAU). This is his fourth different job in four years.
Pimpleton isn't the only other person with Florida State ties to wind up at Florida Atlantic recently. The Owls signed Carter Boatwright, Jaleel McRae, Xavier Peters, and Morven Joseph during the Early Signing Period.
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