Tagert, a native of
Vacaville, California, attended
San Francisco State University where he served as a pitcher. He went on to coach at the
University of New Mexico and later served as a scout for the
Detroit Tigers. He managed nine years for five different clubs in the
Frontier League. After his first year in the Frontier League, he had a very short stint in the
Prairie League as manager for the Brainerd Bobcats, a team that folded after two weeks. By the end of the 2004 season, Tagert had amassed a Frontier League-record 412 victories (he ranks seventh as of the end of 2024). In 2005, he became the new manager of the Gary SouthShore RailCats, a team that held the league record for losses. That same year, the RailCats won the Northern League championship. The RailCats made it to the Championship series four years in a row, winning twice. In 2008, the RailCats extended his contract until 2010. As a result, Tagert relocated his family from Vacaville to
Northwest Indiana. On Saturday, February 20, 2010, the RailCats announced that his contract was being extended until 2013. A year later, in 2011, the Northern League folded and the RailCats, along with the
Kansas City T-Bones,
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and
Winnipeg Goldeyes, moved to the American Association for the 2011 season. Tagert guided Gary to their first AA championship in 2013. After suffering the first full losing season of his career in 2015, Tagert rebounded to guide the RailCats back to the postseason in 2017, followed by the first division title since 2008 (when they were in the Northern League). Both seasons ended in first-round playoff exits. Gary slipped to fifth place (out of six teams) in the North Division in 2019 before sitting out the 2020 season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Upon returning in 2021, the RailCats slipped further, suffering their first last-place finish under Tagert's watch. This proved to be his final season in a RailCats uniform. On February 7, 2022, the RailCats announced that Tagert was leaving the organization to take a position within the
San Francisco Giants organization, ending his 17-year tenure in Gary. Tagert has been tapped as the manager of the
Arizona Complex League Giants. On December 22, 2022, Tagert was announced as the new manager of the
Winnipeg Goldeyes of the
American Association of Professional Baseball, replacing long-time manager Rick Forney. On December 11, 2023, he was announced as the new manager of the
Tri-City ValleyCats of the
Frontier League, marking his return to the league after two decades managing elsewhere. Tagert led the ValleyCats to the Frontier League playoffs in
2024, their first postseason appearance since joining the league three years prior. ==Records and awards==