Schoffel: With time on its side, FSU Football can be prudent with this hire

While the obvious reason for moving fast was so they could be first into the market, the other major benefit is it will allow them to be more thorough with every aspect of the hiring process. They will be able to do more due diligence when it comes to vetting candidates, and they will have a much better picture of what they are getting into with the next hire. They'll have time to get a clearer understanding of what that coach expects from the university -- in terms of resources and support system -- and they will be able to make a sound determination of whether his vision aligns with their own.

This is something FSU has been unable to do when hiring either of its last two head football coaches. And it's a major reason why the Seminoles are in the difficult position they face today.

When it became clear that Jimbo Fisher was leaving for Texas A&M late in the 2017 season, FSU's administration acted incredibly quickly when hiring his replacement. Led by then-athletics director Stan Wilcox, Thrasher and Board of Trustees chairman Ed Burr, the Seminoles zeroed in on a small pool of candidates, conducted a few interviews and hired Willie Taggart in a span of four days.

Fisher left on a Friday. The Seminoles had a deal with Taggart the following Tuesday.

At the time, FSU's administration received heaping helpings of praise (including from me!) for being so prepared for that moment, for quickly identifying their top target and for locking him down before anything could spoil the deal. Other schools around that time, most notably Tennessee and Florida, had been publicly played by top candidates who simply entertained their interest long enough to leverage better deals.

Florida State didn't want that to happen -- particularly with Fisher's last recruiting class in shambles and the new early signing period rapidly approaching -- so they jumped in with Taggart almost overnight.

He wanted the job. They wanted him. The attorneys worked out the financials. And Taggart was on a plane to Tallahassee.

Days after the hire, I wrote a behind-the-scenes look at how they pulled it off. The headline for that story was: 'Fast and thorough: How FSU landed top candidate Taggart so quickly.'

I personally could not have been more impressed with how well FSU managed that process. I had no way of knowing whether the Seminoles had hired the right guy, but at least they didn't get used and abused by coaches like so many other schools.

As it turns out, the 'Noles graded out a lot higher on the "fast" part than they did on the "thorough."

Any way you look at it, Taggart ended up being a bad hire for Florida State. He simply wasn't ready for this stage -- at least not yet. And I'd imagine it wasn't long after the deal was done that some of the higher-ups in the administration began wondering if they should have done a little more homework before taking the plunge.

This time, they should have that opportunity.

While FSU still needs to act quickly -- another recruiting class is beginning to crumble and other schools will soon be entering the market -- the Seminoles do have enough time to make sure they know exactly what they are getting in a head coach and that he knows exactly what he's getting from the university.