Stacy Taylor is not your typical high school football coach. She doesn’t wear a whistle, and she doesn’t shout out secondary coverages. She is a different type of coach in the field house these days, a coach who is less concerned with Xs and Os and more concerned with As and Bs and ACTs. Taylor is the academic coach for the Glynn Academy Red Terrors.
“I am the first female football coach in Glynn Academy’s history,” said the third-generation Glynn County educator. The Red Terrors’ football history dates back over 100 years. Taylor is also the only high school football academic coach in Georgia recognized by the National Tutor Association.
She works with student-athletes to reach a goal set by Glynn Academy head coach Rocky Hidalgo: Every year at the end-of-season banquet, every senior is be able to stand before their parents, boosters, and the administration and announce their college acceptances. “This is the driving force behind what I do,” Taylor said. According to Hidalgo, Taylor is relentless when it comes to helping players. She makes sure that they are improving academically, applying to colleges, filling out financial aid applications, and getting tutoring for college testing.
“Part of what we want to do at Glynn Academy is to ensure that our kids not only are improving themselves as an athlete but also as a person and as a student,” Hidalgo said. “She really enjoys working with our players and making sure they are as prepared as possible for what lies beyond graduation.”
Taylor is a member of the coaching staff, and the students treat her as such. “This year a senior called me ‘Miss Coach Taylor,’” Taylor said. “I love it.” On game night, some of the players look for her in the stands after their plays. Taylor caters to each individual player and grade level, including monitoring grades and attendance for ninth grade players, making sure older players fulfill NCAA eligibility, and assigning tutors when needed. By the 11th grade, students are preparing for the college boards. All of the services are free, and volunteers serve as tutors in study hall and ACT prep camps. Everything is done with the support of the Booster Club.
She started working with the team last season, an exciting time for the Red Terrors football program that made it to the state championship game for the first time since 1964.
“I’d shared with my administration that I wanted to develop new skills,” Taylor said. “I wanted to assist students in planning for graduation and beyond.” That’s when she heard Hidalgo tell the student body that he wanted to change the culture of Glynn Academy through the football program.
Originally from Brunswick, Taylor attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before becoming a teacher. She joined the faculty at Glynn Academy in 2011 and three years later was named the school’s Teacher of the Year. That was followed by being named Glynn County’s Teacher of the Year for 2014-15. It was about this same time that Taylor began working on an idea to help with the academic welfare of the football players.
“I asked for a meeting with Coach Rock, and I will never forget how that meeting went,” Taylor said. She reminded the coach of what he had told the students and that he was missing an opportunity with academics. Hidalgo agreed that he needed an academic coach. He had been looking for someone to take charge of the team’s progress in the classroom and to achieve the scholastic goals he had set. He hired her on the spot.
“She’s real fiery with the kids,” Hidalgo said. “She is one of our coaches.” Taylor doesn’t back down from students, opting instead for the “tough love” approach, which is one of the traits coaches like about her.
As a coach, Taylor attends every game…almost. “I missed one game last season, and it was the Glynn Academy versus Ware match up,” Taylor said. “I vowed never to do that again.” By attending the games, she helps build up the team and creates a connection with the players through their mutual participation in football.
She was able to see the second battle between the two teams in the state semifinals, which was her most memorable game. “The fireworks went off, and we jumped, screamed, and cried all at the same time,” Taylor said. “The stands were packed, and community rallied around our whole team. The sense of pride and unity was overwhelming to say the least.”
By day, Taylor teaches College Preparatory U.S. History, Honors U.S. History, and African American Studies. Her teaching schedule is designed so that she is available to football players during their weight training block. She also hosts a study hall Monday through Wednesday after school. Even on Saturdays, she has ACT prep camps.
“The time spent with each student depends on the need of the student,” Taylor said. “I have student-athletes who check in with me daily. They either want to share their successes or ask for assistance.”
She looks at her duties as any football coach would. “I watch them ‘play’ through the grade monitor, through teacher comments, and through parent concerns,” Taylor said. “We, as coaches on the field, pull the student aside, adjust the play, and send him back on to the field to execute the play.”
In one year, she has already seen success from her program, both individually and as a team: Each member of the Class of 2016 graduated with an acceptance into the college or university of their choice. Taylor wants her students to succeed, whether it’s completing a course or being the first graduate in their household. She is Hidalgo’s eyes and ears in the classroom. “I give her free reign with our academic program and support her 100 percent, and the kids know that,” Hidalgo said.
ITG Web Content
A New Type Of Football Coach
Written by Rob Asbell
Photo by Michael Brinson
