Taylor Made: Faith, Family, Centennial Football

At first glance it’s easy to see Centennial’s Richard Taylor has “the look” of a high school coach. So it shouldn’t come as any surprise his son Andrew, the Coyotes’ defensive coordinator, has the same “look.”

Andrew, a CHS graduate who played at Glendale Community College and later the University of Tulsa, has learned the craft under one of the most successful prep coaches in Arizona history, although his father is quick to point out he never needed or wanted much help.

“He was always very polite to me, respectful,” Richard Taylor said to Sports360AZ.com with wry grin. “Usually he had his own ideas and he worked very hard. His ideas worked well.”

You could say that.

Over the past decade the Coyotes have won four state championships and this fall they’ll look to make their fourth-straight title game appearance.

Congrats to @Cehsfootball Heading to Cardinal stadium next Saturday! See you at the ‘ship!! #CoyotePride pic.twitter.com/2PvPm9jBkS

— CentennialAthletics (@CeHSathletics) November 19, 2016

The Taylor’s father-son coaching bond started back in the 1980’s when young Andrew would watch his dad critique practice and game footage off reel-to-reel machines back in Ohio.  

“I think it was always in my mind [to coach],” Andrew explained to Sports360AZ.com. “It really didn’t become a path I was truly considering until probably my senior year of high school.”

Richard believes Andrew’s youth engineering interests drawing and building gave him a unique perspective to crafting a defense and examining inside the X’s and O’s.

“Their minds see things a little differently,” Richard said. “They pay attention to detail, the little things. Those all translate to being a good coach.”

The two have been working on the staff since the early 2000’s and both agree they never let the game of football overshadow their faith or family off the field but Andrew learned early in his coaching career through his dad’s midwest roots, full commitment to your team is often key to their success.

“You’ve got to have that weight room open over Christmas break, spring break,” Andrew said with a smile. “The summer. What summer? You’ve got to be working all the time.”

It’s the Centennial way.

Taylor Made.