Jackson State officially announced that T.C. Taylor, former player and current assistant, would replace Deion Sanders as the football program’s next head coach.
Athletic director Ashley Robinson on Tuesday gathered the team in the football facility meeting room to formally introduce who would be leading the Tigers in 2023 and beyond. Robinson gave a brief address before pointing to the back of the room and summoning Taylor.
Taylor, the current quarterbacks coach, was overjoyed as he burst into the room and was gladhanded and hugged by excited players and coaches, including Sanders in footage filmed by Thee Pregame Show.
“Paying my dues. Patience. Letting God order my steps and being humble got me here today,” he said. “Family. Y’all (the players) are my family. My family at home motivates me. That’s why I love the opportunity to stand in front of you guys. Ever since I got into coaching, this was a dream of mine to get this opportunity to lead the place where I grew up.”
Taylor previously coached at Coahoma Community College in Mississippi and was an assistant at Texas Southern and North Carolina Central. He was also the interim coach after Jackson State let go John Hendrick in 2019.
Taylor, McComb native, played quarterback and wide receiver at JSU from 1998-2001.
In 19 games as a receiver, he caught 188 passes for 1,793 yards, setting the single-season school record with 84 receptions for 1,234 yards and 11 TDs as a senior.
“T.C.’s passion and love for Jackson State University is unquestioned,” said Robinson in a statement. “His fervent desire and hunger to lead his alma mater as head coach is unparalleled. His standard of excellence as a player as a JSU Tiger and his career trajectory as an assistant coach has prepared him for this opportunity. His vision and plan to continue the championship excellence of Jackson State football elevated him to the top of the search process. I look forward to him leading our program in 2023 and into the future.”
