Duane Taylor is entering his third season with the Hampton University football, program, and this season he will serve as offensive coordinator. He rejoins the staff after serving as the offensive coordinator at Fayetteville State University.
At Fayetteville, his Broncos finished second in the Southern Division ending the year with a four-game conference winning streak. Stevie Green for Fayetteville State was named the CIAA Rookie of the Year after running for 1,150 yards in 2016.
Before leaving Hampton, he served as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach after serving as wide receivers and quarterbacks coach under head coach Connell Maynor.
On top of coaching the wide receivers and quarterbacks, Taylor will handle several recruiting areas and other coaching duties as assigned.
In Taylor’s first season with the Pirates, wide receiver Twarn Mixson was a First Team All-MEAC selection after leading the conference in both receptions (5.6 per game) and receiving yards (68.3 per game). Mixson’s six touchdown receptions were tied for the second-most among wide receivers in the conference.
Taylor was also the quarterbacks coach in 2014, overseeing signal callers Jaylian Williamson, Bryan Bailey, and Jerrell Antoine. Williamson set a school record with 407 passing yards in the season opener at Old Dominion, while Antoine threw 11 touchdown passes in five starts.
Taylor came to Hampton after four seasons at Winston-Salem State, serving as wide receivers coach under his mentor – and Rams head coach – Maynor. He coached two 1,000-yard receivers at WSSU: Jameze Massey (1,324 yards in 65 catches) and Jahuann Butler (1,236 yards in 62 catches).
Those two players are the top two is WSSU history in career receiving yards.
He also coached two CIAA Rookies of the Year: Tehyven Brantley in 2010 and Chase Powell in 2013. Taylor also coached Div. II All-American Dominique Fitzgerald.
His coaching career began at Towers High School in Decatur, Ga., where he served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He guided the second-ranked offense in all of DeKalb County (encompassing 22 schools). Taylor also coached the top running back and kick returner, as well as the second-ranked passer.
He also coach current Buffalo Bill DaNorris Searcy.
After two seasons at Towers, Taylor moved to Hoke County High School in Raeford, N.C., where he held the same position for two seasons. He guided the 17th-best offense in the state of North Carolina, including the top-ranked wide receiver and third-ranked quarterback.
He also served as assistant head coach for the boy’s varsity basketball team (as well as head coach of the 9th-grade team).
Taylor was a four-year letterman at Fayetteville State, and he a member of the CIAA All-Rookie Team in 2000. He was on the 2002 and 2003 Fayetteville State squads that won CIAA titles, and he currently holds over 25 school records.
After his collegiate career, Taylor spent five years in the National Indoor Football League and the American Indoor Football League, spending his professional playing career as a quarterback, wide receiver, and kicker.
Taylor graduated from Fayetteville State in 2005 with a degree in business administration. He also has a Master’s in secondary education, which he earned from the University of Phoenix in 2009.
A native of Roanoke, Va., Taylor a member of the American Football Coaches Association, and he is the proud father of a son, Cameron (4).
