Roderick Taylor enters his second season as the offensive coordinator for Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Taylor broke into the nationwide spotlight by being chosen as one of only four national finalists for Football Scoop Division II Coordinator of the Year in 2011. Taylor is also well on his way to developing a reputation a one of the best recruiters in the nation.
Taylor comes to the Hog Nation from Midwestern State, a Lone Star Conference rival. Taylor joins Head Coach David Calloway for the second time in his career. The first time was at Langston University in Oklahoma and the duo produced a conference championship.
“The football tradition of the Javelinas, the leadership at this university and the awesome people in the community made Texas A&M-Kingsville a very solid fit me and my family," said Taylor, who will serve as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator on the Javelina staff.
In his first season at TAMUK, the Javelina offense scored 28 points in the first quarter against McMurry College (Sept. 27, 2013). It was the first time since Sept. 12, 2009 that Kingsville scores 28 points in a quarter. In an exhibition against the defending Mexican national champions Monterrey Tech, wide receiver Robert Armstrong set a school-record with 18 catches for 177 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-37 in triple overtime at AT&T Stadium. Although the contest was considered an exhibition game, Armstrong was recognized by the Lone Star Conference, earning co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.
In the home opener against McMurry, Texas A&M-Kingsville amassed 577 yards of total offense en route to a 52-32 win. Greg Pitre led the way with 10 carries for 180 yards and two touchdowns while Aaron Bueno rushed for 88 yards.
Despite its tough finish, seven players were honored with postseason accolades.
In all four seasons at Midwestern State, the offensive record book experienced some drastic changes. In 2010 and 2011 the Mustangs led the nation in red zone offense. In 2009, MSU won its first Lone Star Conference title, reached the NCAA playoffs and led the nation at all levels in pass efficiency at 180.2 and completion percentage at 72%. That season Taylor tutored a receiving unit that caught 29 touchdowns in a run-first offense and included a game that saw the Mustangs complete 24 of 25 passes breaking a 33-year-old NCAA record.
Taylor has also coached at least one first team Lone Star Conference receiver in his first three seasons at Midwestern as well as the Receiver of the Year in 2009 (Andy Tanner-Saints) and in 2011 (David Little-Cowboys). This was not overlooked by Head Coach Bill Maskill, as he promoted Taylor back into the familiar role of offensive play caller in the spring of 2011.
In the fall of 2011, the Midwestern offense led the nation in total offense at 532 yards per game, yards per play at 7.5 and scoring at 48.6 points per game. The Mustangs ranked second in the country with 323 rushing yards per game. The offense success helped Midwestern to its first perfect regular season, an outright Lone Star Conference title and trip to the NCAA Division II postseason while producing numerous All-Americans, and the LSC Offensive Lineman, Receiver and Offensive Player of the year.
Some of the offensive highlights of the 2011 had to be a two-week span where the offense produced back-to-back games of more than 700 yards with 138 total points as the Mustangs were perfect in the red zone for the first eight games kicking not one field goal- 42 touchdowns.
In 2012 the Mustangs were LSC Conference champions again, giving MSU three out of the last four titles and a slot back in the NCAA playoffs. The MSU offense repeated as the top scoring offense in the LSC and was 14th total offense in the nation. Despite the addition of a new offensive line coach the rushing yards increased to 335.7 yards per game which was third in the nation. MSU maintained its dominance in the red zone at 91% good enough for second in the nation. The MSU offense led the nation in sacks allowed giving up only four on the season and was fourth in the nation at yards per play at 7.11. The season also produced a back-to-back Lone Star Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and Mustangs as All Americans . As the Offensive Coordinator at Midwestern State University Taylor averaged 505 yards a game,43.6 points a game, and 7.3 yards per play.
Prior to MSU, Taylor served as co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State. While with the Bulldogs, the on the field offensive production increased drastically and the offense set a school single-season passing record which was a 20-percent increase. The school single-season receptions record by a player was also broken. The total yards per game improved 43 yards, a 14-percent increase.
SWOSU also produced 207 first downs which shattered the prior four-year season average of 160.25 per season and was a 29-percent increase. The overall offensive scoring increased 7 percent under the direction of Taylor.
Taylor started his collegiate coaching career helping resurrect an Oklahoma Panhandle State football program that was without a winning season for nine years prior to his arrival. Taylor acted as the running game coordinator at OPSU and coached five different first-team all-conference players at four different positions in two years. OPSU was voted Top 10 turn-around program in the U.S. by the NCAA in 2003 and continued to win in 2004. Taylor coached quarterback Ty Sellers, a Harlon Hill contender, a first-team all-conference quarterback. Sellers led all Division II QBs with 16 rushing touchdowns in 11 games and Joe David, the first 1,000-yard rusher in nine years.
As academic coordinator, Taylor helped the Aggies improve a team GAP from 1.71 to 2.75. He also served as the interim men’s basketball coach at OPSU in 2004 breaking a double-digit losing streak.
Following another winning football season in 2004, Taylor moved on to Langston to serve as the passing game coordinator. In 2005 Langston was Central States Football League Conference Champions, averaging 35 points a game with the No. 1 ranked offense in the CSFL.
Taylor coached three all-conference players at three different positions including a first-team all-conference wide receiver, punt returner, and second-team tight end. Under Taylor’s supervision as offensive academic coordinator, the Lions' team GPA improved from 1.95 to 2.67.
Following Langston, Taylor coached at Terrell (Texas) High School serving as special team’s coordinator and offensive line coach in 2006. The offensive line unit led the district in sacks allowed with 1.6 per game.
In 2007, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Under Taylor's direction and discipline, the offensive scoring catapulted 239 percent and rushing increased to 5.8 yards per carry.
Prior to OPSU Taylor taught and coached in a wide variety of arenas including lockdown facilities, boys’ ranches, juvenile justice system, alternative learning, and residential living settings.
As a football player, Taylor was a part of three programs: Kansas Wesleyan, Oklahoma Panhandle State, and Texas Southern Universities. Throughout his football career he started twenty games as a defensive player at three different positions.
Taylor is married to Chastity P. Taylor – his college sweetheart – and is the father of seven-year old Zachary Clay Taylor.
