Why Jackson State football coach TC Taylor is also Tigers offensive coordinator in 2024
With the departure of co-offensive coordinators Maurice Harris and Jason Onyebuagu, who left to coach at Auburn and South Alabama, respectively, Jackson State football needed an offensive coordinator.
During Jackson State's spring football game, coach T.C. Taylor called the offensive plays as the Blue team defeated the White team 23-9 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on April 6.
During a postgame press conference, Taylor was asked by the Clarion Ledger if he would be the offensive coordinator for the 2024 season or hire another coach.
“We’ll see,” Taylor said. “We still have a lot of time. We won't have a game until August. We will continue to grow this football team, but I did handle it today. I will continue to evaluate it and see how I feel about it going forward. And I will make that decision.”
In the 2023 football season, Jackson State’s offense was fourth in the SWAC in scoring with 27.3 points per game and third in rushing with 1,778 yards on 397 attempts for an average of 161. 6 yards per game. JSU was second in passing, completing 237-of-364 for 2,505 yards and averaging 227.7 yards a game. JSU’s offense was No. 1 in total offense in the SWAC averaging 389.4 yards a game.
Taylor wants to improve on those numbers, which is why on May 1, Taylor said he would be calling the plays.
Here are three reasons Taylor named himself offensive coordinator
TC Taylor loves calling plays
Taylor coached six seasons as an offensive coordinator at Coahoma County Community College and four at North Carolina Central, including in 2016 when the Eagles went to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.
Taylor also served as offensive coordinator at Jackson State under Deion Sanders in 2021. The team was fourth in the SWAC in scoring offense (27.5 points per game), seventh in total offense (337.6 yards per game) and second in passing (248.5 yards per game) with FCS and SWAC freshman of the year Shedeur Sanders as quarterback. The Tigers won the SWAC and played in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
“We are going to be really good defensively,” Taylor said on "Talking Sports Live" on May 1. “I feel like if I can give these guys 28-30 points a game we are going to be fine as a football team. I am a play caller at heart and that is what I have always done. I have been to the Celebration Bowl three different times as an offensive coordinator, you know. I love it.”
Jackson State football coach wants more control the game
Last season, the Jackson State offense had clock and game management issues. The Tigers took a timeout against Bethune-Cookman to kick a field goal but did not have the right personnel on the field. They were forced to throw the ball in the back of the end zone with quarterback Jason Brown struggling to get off a last-second play against Alabama State. Taylor wants to be in control of the game.
TAYLOR STILL UNDECIDED ON O-COORDINATOR Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor still undecided who'll be offensive coordinator in 2024
Jackson State football needs more explosive plays
Jackson State lacked big plays at the receiver position.
JSU tight end D.J. Stevens had a team long 70-yard reception and Rico Powers had a pass of 66 yards.
Powers and Fabian McCray were the only receivers to average over 50 yards a game. Powers averaged 55 yards a game and McCray 53.1 yards. No other JSU receivers had a catch over 50 yards.
Jackson State opens its season at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 at UL Monroe.
J.T. Keith is the HBCU sports editor for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at JKeith@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @JTKEITH1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State football coach TC Taylor is also offensive coordinator
