Meet WMU's new head football coach Lance Taylor
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Western Michigan University officially introduced its new head football coach Lance Taylor on Friday afternoon at Heritage Hall.
Taylor is the 17th head coach in program history.
The 41 year old told WMU athletic director Dan Bartholomae that the Western job was the best job in the MAC, and that it had "everything he needs to win a championship."
"I did my homework and research, and talked to a bunch of people who have worked in this conference including (former Central Michigan coach) Brian Kelly" said Taylor.
"I talked to people on his staff there, the feedback was that it was an unbelievable job, great people, great resources, and you've got an opportunity to win the MAC every year."
A Mt. Vernon, Alabama native, Taylor, will be leading the Broncos after finishing the 2022 season as the offensive coordinator with the University of Louisville.
Taylor and his family received a warm welcome Thursday evening after arriving in a private plane.
Buster the Bronco greeted the Taylor family, the WMU band played, cheerleaders cheered, and confetti was thrown.
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A walk-on at the University of Alabama, Taylor played in 38 consecutive games as a wide-receiver from 1999-2003 for the Crimson Tide, and earned a special team's captain for then-coach Mike Shula, according to Western Michigan University athletics.
He also played professionally for the Colorado Crush and Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League, and AF2's Green Bay Blizzard and Louisville Fire from 2004-2006.
Taylor graduated from University of Alabama in 2003 with a degree in management, officials said. His father, James Taylor, had also attended the University of Alabama, playing running back under legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Starting his career at his alma mater, Taylor served as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban from 2007-2008.
Taylor has been an NFL assistant with both the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets, and a positional coach at Appalachian State and Stanford.
Prior to his arrival in Kalamazoo, Taylor spent three seasons as the running backs coach and run game coordinator at the University of Notre Dame, leading the Fighting Irish to a 2022 college football playoff, and a New Year's Six Fiesta Bowl in 2021.