Taggart makes two new additions to staff

USF made more additions to its football teamTuesday with the hiring of PaulGonnella, as the staffs director of playerpersonnel, and former Bulls quarterback Marquel Blackwell, as director of player development.

Blackwell becomes a Bull again after serving four years as the starting quarterback for USF from 1999-2002. He originally rejoined the Bulls in 2009 as a program assistant until 2011, andbecame a graduate assistant under coach Willie Taggart atWestern Kentucky in 2012.

The former Bulls player has professional experience as well. Blackwell started in the last preseason game for the New York Jets in 2003,signing with them coming out of college.

Blackwell holds ahefty amount of theBulls passing recordsincluding 67 touchdowns,795 completions and9,108 yards. He also holds the records for most attempts and ranks ninth in careerrushing yards.

As the other addition to the staff, Gonella is coming off the 2012 season at the same position with Alabama.

The Crimson Tide, with the help of Gonella, signed thenations top class.His position withAlabama had Gonella assisting with camps andclinics, but mainly focused onrecruiting.

He held similarpositions with the University ofMemphis in 2010, along withMiami, Tennessee and North Carolina in prior seasons.

Memphis experienced great success with recruitingGonella, signing 17 three-starplayers.

Tennessee and NorthCarolina also benefited fromGonellas touch on therecruiting process, as the schools placed as the No. 10and No. 9 recruiting class in the nation with him.

The two new members to USF football join a brand new staff whose members carryimpressive resumes such as the current defensivecoordinator and former NFL coach Chuck Bresnahan, and Ron Cooper, the defensive back coach who served as a coach in 2012 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.