Lance Taylor
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamWestern Michigan
ConferenceMAC
Record4–8
Biographical details
Born (1981-07-17) July 17, 1981 (age 42)
Mount Vernon, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
2000–2003Alabama
2004Colorado Crush
2005Columbus Destroyers
2005Green Bay Blizzard
2006Louisville Fire
Position(s)Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2007–2008Alabama (GA)
2009Appalachian State (WR)
2010New York Jets (intern)
2011New York Jets (QC)
2012New York Jets (QC/asst. TE)
2013Carolina Panthers (asst. WR)
2014–2016Stanford (RB)
2017–2018Carolina Panthers (WR)
2019–2020Notre Dame (RB)
2021Notre Dame (RB/RGC)
2022Louisville (OC)
2023–presentWestern Michigan
Head coaching record
Overall4–8
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
FootballScoop.com Running Backs Coach of the Year (2015)

Lance Taylor (born July 17, 1981)[1][2] is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Western Michigan University, a position he has held since the 2023 season.

Playing career

Taylor was a walk-on wide receiver for Alabama from 1999 to 2002, where he played under four different head coaches - Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price, and Mike Shula.[3] He eventually would play in 38 consecutive games as a wide receiver and earn a scholarship. As a senior, Taylor was a special-teams captain.[4]

Taylor played professional football for the Colorado Crush and Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League, and the Green Bay Blizzard and the Louisville Fire of the AF2.[5] An ACL injury ultimately ended his playing career. The reconstructive procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews.[6]

Coaching career

Stanford

Taylor served as the running backs coach for Stanford from 2014 through 2016. During his tenure he coached Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey and All-Pac-12 running back Bryce Love. His team won the 2016 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Pac-12 Football Championship. During the 2015 season, Taylor was named the Running Backs Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.com.[7]

Notre Dame

Following two years in the National Football League (NFL) with the Carolina Panthers, Taylor was named running backs coach for Notre Dame in 2019. The team made the College Football Playoff in 2020 and also made an appearance in the 2020 ACC Championship Game.[8] Following the 2020 season, he was promoted to run game coordinator.[9]

Louisville

Despite rumors that Taylor would be retained by Notre Dame following the departure of Brian Kelly, it was announced that Taylor would be leaving the Fighting Irish to become Louisville's next offensive coordinator under coach Scott Satterfield.[10]

Western Michigan

On December 8, 2022, Taylor was hired as the 17th head football coach at Western Michigan.[11]

Personal life

Taylor is from Mount Vernon, Alabama, where he graduated from Citronelle High School as class salutatorian.[12] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management in 2003 from the University of Alabama. He is married to his wife Jamie and has two children, son Jet and daughter Jemma.

Taylor's father, James, played for Bear Bryant at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC championship teams, including the 1973 team that was recognized as national champions by the UPI Coaches Poll.[13] In 2015, James was named to the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame.[14]

Taylor is a member of the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians, a state-recognized Native American tribe in Alabama.[15] As of December 2022, he is the only NCAA Division I head football coach who is Native American.

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Western Michigan Broncos (Mid-American Conference) (2023–present)
2023 Western Michigan 4–8 3–5 T–4th (West)
Western Michigan: 4–8 3–5
Total: 4–8

References

  1. ^ Notre Dame Football [@NDFootball] (July 17, 2019). "Happy Birthday, @CoachLT39! 🎂🎈🎊 We're so excited to have your family to join our family. #GoIrish ☘️ https://t.co/yVgHZkCuPM" (Tweet). Retrieved December 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Lance Taylor Named Western Michigan Football Head Coach". Western Michigan University Athletics. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Stephenson, Creg (May 23, 2022). "Lance Taylor on playing for 4 coaches at Alabama, his father's legacy & working for Saban". AL.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  4. ^ Paul, Tony. "'Our future is in great hands': WMU hires Louisville OC Taylor as football coach". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  5. ^ "Lance Taylor Named Western Michigan Football Head Coach". Western Michigan University Athletics. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Stephenson, Creg (May 23, 2022). "Lance Taylor: 'That's not necessarily a record I wanted'". AL.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Barnett, Zach (December 30, 2015). "Lance Taylor - 2015 Running Backs Coach of the Year". Footballscoop. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  8. ^ "Lance Taylor - Football Coach". University of Louisville Athletics. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  9. ^ "Kelly Promotes Rees, Taylor". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. January 14, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  10. ^ Engel, Patrick (January 16, 2022). "Notre Dame RB coach Lance Taylor leaving to become Louisville offensive coordinator". On3. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Paul, Tony (December 8, 2022). "'Our future is in great hands': WMU hires Louisville OC Taylor as football coach". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  12. ^ Sunray, Cedric (September 13, 2018). "American Indian Climbs Coaching Ladder to the NFL". Indian Country Today. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  13. ^ "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Title No. 12 Comes Easily". The New York Times. January 3, 1993. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  14. ^ AL.com and Press-Register staff (April 20, 2015). "James Taylor to be part of Mobile Sports Hall of Fame". AL.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  15. ^ Rickert, Levi (December 9, 2022). "Western Michigan University Names Lance Taylor (Choctaw) the Only Native American NCAA Division I Head Football Coach". Native News Online. Retrieved December 10, 2022.

External links

Western Michigan Broncos head football coaches
Head football coaches of the Mid-American Conference
Categories