Joe Taylor accepts Florida A&M offer

Photo: Former Hampton University head football coach Joe Taylor has accepted offer to become Florida A&M University head football coach, replacing Rubin Carter that was fired on November 20, 2007.

by beepbeep

One of the most reliable sources in the FAMU football universe, Heath A. Smith of the Tallahassee Democrat has published the linked report this evening indicating that Florida A&M University has hired Joe Taylor, current head football coach at Hampton University to head the Rattlers football program.

Heath states:

Hampton head football coach Joe Taylor has accepted an offer from Florida A&M President James Ammons to become the school's next head football coach, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The source said Taylor and his wife are expected to fly down to Tallahassee on Monday for an official announcement.

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This is no rumor--this is the real deal with the information being provided to the Democrat from official sources in the Ammons administration.

This is an excellent selection for FAMU as he is one of the most respected coach in the Football Championship Subdivision. Taylor has been a head coach for 25 years and has won 75 percent of his games with a career record of 136-44-1 at Hampton.

He has served the past 16 years heading the program at Hampton University and has made the FCS playoffs three of the past four seasons.

As the winningest coach in Hampton University football history, Taylor has won four Black College Championships, eight conference titles, a Heritage Bowl Championship and seven trips to the NCAA playoffs, where his record is 0-7.

However, Coach Taylor has been placing more players in the NFL lately than any other FCS program. He has a proven record of recruiting Division 1A level talent in both Florida and the Tidewater regions to Hampton University. He has had a player drafted by the NFL in 12 of his previous 15 seasons at Hampton.

Coach Taylor is past president (2001) of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is the chairman the AFCA Minority Issues Committee and the Board of Directors of the American Football Coaches Foundation.

His career mark of 197-78-4 (.706) places him on the national level as the third winningest active coach in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) when ranked by total victories and fifth when ranked by winning percentage. Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore is tied for fourth with 194 wins and three consecutive FCS National Championships.

Coach Taylor has served as a head coach at Howard University, Virginia Union University and Hampton University in his 25 year career.

His contract will require the approval of the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees before the hire is finalized on Monday.

Taylor also interviewed for the vacant head coaching position at Western Carolina University and was reported to have been offered the position. However, North Carolina state law preclude university personnel from public discussion/confirmation until the contract has been ratified by their board of trustees. Coach Taylor declined this offer to accept the position at Florida A&M University.

On an ironic twist, last season Joe Taylor offered former FAMU head coach Billy Joe, the position of offensive coordinator for the Hampton Pirates. Billy Joe declined but the other Joe (Taylor) accepts the offer for College Football Hall of Famer Billy Joe's old head coaching position. Life does come full circle.