Schutt Sports College Coaches of the Year

Joe Taylor Hampton Joe Taylor made a decision last off-season that helped lift his Pirates to the Div. I-AA playoffs. During his regular off-season evaluations – which involves looking at every play of every game, interviewing coaches and writing a letter to his players – Taylor realized his defense needed to change. “You must look at this as a business,” said Taylor, whose team finished the regular season ranked No. 2 and lost to Richmond in the first round of the playoffs. “If you’re going to be successful, you make to make an assessment in where you are in the program. If you look and see you need to make some adjustments.” That adjustment, Taylor decided, was to convert to a 3-4 defense. Hampton had athletic linebackers and defensive guards who were quick enough to play defensive end. He also had a new defensive coordinator, former NFL player Jerry Holmes. Holmes, the