Florida State announced late last week that coach Willie Taggart has added Mickey Andrews to his staff as a special assistant to the head coach.

"I am thrilled to add coach Andrews to our staff," Taggart said in a release. "He brings a wealth of knowledge about Florida State's program as well as the style we will play on defense. Coach Andrews was the architect of some of the best defenses in college football history, and he helped build the FSU dynasty. Our student-athletes, coaches and staff will benefit from having him around our team every day."

Andrews was Florida State's defensive coordinator from 1984-2009 under coach Bobby Bowden. During Andrews' 26 years on the sideline, the Seminoles put together a 249-71-4 record (.775 winning percentage), won 12 ACC championships, finished inside the top five in the country 14 times and claimed national titles in 1993 and 1999.

"I want to thank coach Taggart for this opportunity," Andrews said in the release. "His passion for Florida State has been evident from the first time I met him, and his energy is contagious. I am excited to be part of his staff as he leads Florida State back toward competing for championships, and I'm looking forward to contributing in any way I can."

Prior to joining Florida State, Andrews held assistant coach positions at Florida and Clemson and was the head coach at Livingston, where he won an NAIA national championship, and North Alabama.

He played at Alabama, earning second-team All-America honors and two national championships (1961 and 1964) as a wide receiver and defensive back.

In college baseball, Andrews was an All-SEC choice. In 1964, he received the Hugo Friedman Award as Alabama's best all-around athlete.

The Seminoles started fall practice Monday. They open the season Sept. 3 when Virginia Tech travels to Tallahassee. Kickoff is scheduled for an 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.