Navarro College announced on Tuesday the hiring of Ryan Taylor as the Bulldog football program's 16^th head coach.

 

Taylor comes to Navarro with ten years of coaching experience in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC), after serving the last two seasons as head coach at Cisco College. He led the Wranglers to a 11-5 overall record, including an undefeated season in Spring 2021 that culminated in a SWJCFC Conference Championship and No. 3 ranking in the final NJCAA Division I Football Poll.

 

Taylor replaces Scott Parr, who became co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach December 9 on Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie's coaching staff.

 

"We are thrilled to have Ryan join our Bulldog Family.  He is exactly what our football program needs at this time," said Navarro Athletic Director Michael Landers. "Ryan has a proven track record of success in the SWJCFC, and we are confident he can lead our program back to competing for conference and national championships."

 

During Taylor's head-coaching tenure, Cisco produced a total of 37 all-conference players and four NJCAA All-Americans while averaging more than 30 points and 350 yards over each of the past two seasons. 

 

Following the school's only perfect season in spring 2021, Cisco went 4-5 in the fall, dropping four league games by a combined 11 points, including two settled by field goals longer than 45 yards as time expired.  On the other hand, the Wranglers' signature win was a 38-19 decision over NJCAA national champion and SWJCFC conference champion New Mexico Military Institute at Roswell, NM -- the only blemish on the NMMI Broncos' full 13-game season.

 

Taylor, a 2006 Denison High School graduate, played football for coach Bob Brown's Yellowjackets, earned two-time All-SWJCFC honors as an offensive lineman at Tyler Junior College (2007-08), and claimed All-Pac 12 honors in 2010 for coach Rick Neuhisel's UCLA Bruins.  After graduating with a bachelor's degree in History, Taylor signed an NFL undrafted free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.

 

Taylor began his coaching career on Danny Palmer's staff at TJC (2013-14) as offensive linemen and tight ends coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator (2015-16).  Taylor served as Cisco's offensive coordinator three seasons before he was elevated to the head coaching position in January 2020.

 

He and his wife Paula welcomed their first child, son Kael, to their family last week and all three will be moving to Corsicana in the weeks to come.

 

"Ryan is going to be a great addition to our culture at Navarro. His program's core values will help our young men grow and develop, while winning the right way, " said Landers. " This is a great day for Navarro football and Navarro College."

 

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