KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Tusculum University head football coach will be inducted to the National Football Foundation Mountain Empire Hall of Fame this Saturday morning at the DoubleTree Hotel in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Joining Taylor in the 2024 induction class are Cecil Puckett, Heath Miller, Robbie Norris and Garry Roberts.
Coach Taylor was named Tusculum’s 17th head football coach this past December as his inaugural Pioneer squad is completing its spring drills, culminating with next Saturday’s (Apr. 20) Spring Game.
Taylor was a three-time letterman and starting quarterback at Morristown West High School. He led the Trojans to a remarkable 36-5 record during his career where he was a two-time All-Inter-Mountain Athletic Conference honoree. He was selected to the All-East Tennessee team and was a 1982 Johnson City Press Elite-11 Award recipient. He was twice named Most Valuable Player (1981 and 1982) and served as team captain in 1982.
The Morristown, Tennessee native is a veteran college coach with over 35 years of D-I experience, including 22 as a defensive coordinator along with 17 seasons as a recruiting coordinator.
Taylor previously served 11 seasons at East Tennessee State University where he was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator. His defenses helped lead the Buccaneers to their first two Southern Conference championships in 2018 and 2021.
In 2021, ETSU posted an 11-2 record, won the SoCon Championship and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA-FCS Playoffs. The Bucs led the SoCon in takeaways including a league-best 15 interceptions. ETSU was also tops in the conference in red zone defense while also finishing second in the league in scoring defense (22.7 ppg), rushing defense, sacks (22), third down conversion defense (38%), and fourth down conversion defense (46%).
The 2018 club went 8-4 and won its first conference title in 50 years. Taylor’s defense led the league in yards per play allowed, pass efficiency defense, turnovers gained and sacks. The Bucs finished second in the conference in total defense and rushing defense. His defense also finished nationally ranked in seven categories including eighth in tackles for loss, 20th in sacks, 23rd in rushing defense, 22nd in pass efficiency defense, 22nd in yards per play allowed, 22nd in pass efficiency defense, 23rd in interceptions and 23rd in turnovers gained.
The 2019 defense finished second in the SoCon in yards per play allowed, second in pass defense, third in scoring defense and third in total defense.
The 2021 COVID shortened spring campaign saw the Bucs go 4-2 as ETSU led the league in scoring defense (18.8 ppg), rushing defense (114.5 ypg), yards per carry allowed, while placing second in the conference in total defense and pass efficiency defense.
Prior to his return to ETSU in 2013, Taylor served five seasons (2008-2013) on the coaching staff at Tennessee Tech. During his five years in Cookeville, Taylor’s 2011 defense ranked first in the Ohio Valley Conference in total defense and rushing defense while finishing second in scoring defense. The 2012 Golden Eagles ranked second in pass efficiency defense, third in interceptions and fourth in pass defense. In 2010, the Golden Eagles were tops in the OVC in turnover margin and a season later, finished second in the conference in interceptions and turnover margin as Tech won the league championship, its first league title in 36 years.
From 2005-2008, he served as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Chattanooga. He took over one of the nation’s worst defenses and improved the team’s scoring defense by 17.3 points per game in 2005. In 2007, the UTC defense led the Southern Conference in yards per play allowed, pass defense, turnovers gained and sacks.
Prior to his time at UTC, he served the 2004 campaign at Elon University where he was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers’ coach as the Phoenix finished second in the SoCon with 25 total takeaways.
From 1991-1996, he served as linebackers’ coach and recruiting coordinator at Wofford College. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach Southern Mississippi for the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
Taylor earned a degree in mass communications from ETSU in 1988 and was a four-time letterman and three-year starter as an outside linebacker was voted team captain his senior year in 1987.
In 2015, he was inducted to the Morristown West High School Hall of Fame.
He is married to the former Kristine Renz of Easley, South Carolina, and the couple has two daughters, Mikaelah and McKenzie.
