Chesterfield, VA - There will be a familiar face on the L.C. Bird sidelines this fall. Troy Taylor, who graduated from Bird in 1996, was named the new Head Coach.
"I'm excited to be back" said new Skyhawks Head Coach Troy Taylor. "This is where I went to school, where I graduated, where I stared my coaching for Coach Bedwell."
"For me, it was about bringing someone in who knows culture and climate at L.C. Bird" said Skyhawks Athletic Director David Bedwell. "Having someone who understands all of that and who was a part of that already, just made sense." Taylor was an assistant on Bedwell's first staff in 2000.
After his time at Bird, Taylor became a Head Coach at Amelia and Meadowbrook, where he went 44-19 and led the Monarchs to the playoffs three times.
He spent the last three seasons at Virginia Union as a Quarterback Coach and defensive ends under former Head Coach Mark James.
"He [Coach Mark James] was a mentor to me helped me be a better coach, better man" said Taylor. "It was very beneficial and I'm thankful for the opportunity."
Taylor becomes the first alumnus to be named Head Coach at L.C. Bird and doesn't feel the pressure of coaching his alma mater.
"There is pressure but there's always pressure on Bird Football because there's such a high expectation, such a good tradition of excellence" said Taylor.
"He [Taylor] is not afraid to put his own stamp on things" said Bedwell. I didn't want someone to come and be me. I wanted someone who understood it and that valued it but is not afraid to do things differently."
Taylor will replace Tony Nicely, who went 7-4 as the interim coach last season.
