Billy Taylor

5/14/2007 8:00:00 PM | By: GoMocs.com

BILLY TAYLOR
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/LINEBACKERS COACH
EAST TENNESSEE STATE, 1988
THIRD YEAR

Rodney Allison hired Billy Taylor following the 2004 season to turn around the Mocs' defensive fortunes.

Taylor was hired on Dec. 8, 2004, less than three weeks following the 2004 season. He will continue to call the signals as the defensive coordinator while also coaching the inside linebackers.

In 2005, Taylor's influence led to defensive improvements in 17 different categories from the previous season. The improvements included drastic dips in points allowed, rushing and passing yards allowed, average rushing and passing yards per game, rushing and passing touchdowns and total offense. The Mocs ranked 25th nationally in pass defense.

Last season, UTC's defense stood third in the conference in quarterback sacks. Leading tackler, junior Chris Johnson, was a Second-Team All-Southern Conference selection from his linebacker position and cornerback Quintez Smith also earned Second-Team All-league accolades.

Prior to his arrival at UTC, Taylor served as Elon's defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for one year in 2004.

Nearly Taylor's entire collegiate coaching career has been within the Southern Conference as he has also worked at East Tennessee State and Wofford.

Taylor joined Head Coach Paul Hamilton at Elon in 2004 after serving on Hamilton's staff at East Tennessee State. Taylor worked at ETSU from 1997-2003, coaching linebackers. He served five years as the recruiting coordinator and the final two as the defensive coordinator.

Taylor-coached defenses at ETSU and Elon caused an incredible 92 takeaways in three years from 2002 to 2004. His Buccaneers unit led the SoCon in 2002 and 2003, and the Phoenix ranked second in the league in takeaways in 2004 with 25. His 2003 ETSU defense ranked among the top 30 in the nation in eight different defensive categories.

The Morristown, Tenn., native was an assistant coach at Wofford from 1991-96, working as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator for Head Coach Mike Ayers. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Southern Mississippi in 1989 and 1990. Rodney Allison was also a member of the Golden Eagles' staff during that span.

Taylor earned a degree in Mass Communications from ETSU in 1988. He was a three-year starter as an outside linebacker for the Bucs and was voted team captain his senior year in 1987. He is married to the former Kristine Renz of Easley, S.C., and the couple has two children, Mikaelah Jean, 9, and McKenzie, 6.

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories