Football is known by some fans as a hard-hitting, fast-pace game that ends when the clock hits zero. Others see football as a gruesome sport that can be too violent to the body. Some fans only know the head coach’s name and a few key players who are mentioned more than others. Then there are the very few fans who can name the whole team, including the entire coaching staff.

Football is much more than the touchdowns and players hitting other players. Football is about the family it develops and the memories that can be made throughout the season.

There is one person who knows all about football being more about a family and creating memories that can last a lifetime.

Andrew Taylor, a defense coordinator at Centennial, grew up being around football all the time, whether it was playing Pop Warner or watching film with his dad, who is the head coach at Centennial.

Centennial runs deep in Taylor’s blood for he has been walking the same halls for many years now. He is a has gone from being a kid sitting in the classroom seats, to teaching history at the high school.

“Besides the influence of my dad being a history teacher,” Taylor said, “in the 5th grade, I remember playing a history review game and for whatever reason, I memorized the dates about the Civil War. I enjoyed that so much.”

Football has always been part of his family’s life. Richard Taylor coached his son Andrew when he was about 9 years old in Pop Warner football. Richard Taylor continued to coach Andrew when he attended Centennial. 

“As a freshman he weighed about 128,” Richard said.  “He told me he was going to power clean 300 pounds. At the time I thought, that’s a good goal. I didn’t want to crush any goals. By the time was a senior he did power clean 300 pounds. By the time he was a senior I think his weight was 212, playing strong safety. He then played at Glendale, eventually played at Tulsa as a defensive tackle.”

Taylor has come a long way to be the successful coach he is now. In 2000, a defensive coordinator left right before the season started, allowing Taylor a chance to help coach the team.

“My dad was like we need some help here, we are a little under staff,” Taylor said. “That year my dad set up the defensive structure. It wasn’t until the next year I actually felt like I was really coaching, which was 2001. Also, in 2001 I was officially hired on as a teacher at Centennial. I was a social studies teacher and a varsity football coach.”

Ever since Taylor was officially hired onto the coaching staff, Centennial football has continued to grow. They were not as good as they are now as they lost more games at the time. He noticed when he first started he would overreact to things a lot. He said he would make a lot of inexperienced mistakes such as changing things too much, making the defensive scheme too difficult. He eventually tried to refine what they were are doing, make it a little more appropriate to what the strengths and weaknesses are of each team they played against.

“I don’t think it was a mistake when he came on board,” Richard Taylor said. “We started winning state championships. I think there is a direct correlation there.”

As each year passed and the Coyotes football team started to grow, they won their first championship in 2006. It was a big win for the school and a big win for Taylor as his defense shut out Sunnyside, 34-0. Since their first championship in 2006, they have won five more titles.

 “Once you get that proverbial ball rolling, you can kind of build upon that success and we are proving we can do that,” Taylor said.

He has helped students make the transition from high school football to college. Jordan Ware a freshman defensive back at Arizona State was coached by Taylor and thanks him for his success.

“Andrew Taylor helped prepare me defensively to perform well and to get in the books and study the plays. Just to know everything and be prepared for when I get called in,” Ware said.

Taylor’s passion for the game is shown every time he steps on the field. One of his favorite things about coaching is the challenge of having a different team, groups of people, players, coaches, personalities, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. He loves how there is a challenge of melding that into a really good team.

Connor Knudsen, a senior defensive end, made it a point to know he is not like any other coach in the state.

“For someone who really knows the game and prepares like that every game,” Knudsen said.  “He has a different mindset than any other coach in the state.  Everything he teaches you, everything he makes you plan for games. Just making sure everyone on defense knows what they are doing, making each player gets a chance to do something great on the field.”

He is the type of coach who is into the X’s and O’s, something most fans do not really know, understand or appreciate.

Dylan Wampler a senior linebacker mentioned how much Taylor loves his drills and is the reason why they are so successful.

“He loves it because he loves what he does,” Wampler said. “He spends hours and hours of his free time, because he loves it and he want us to succeed in life. He taught me so much about the game. The reason I am successful is because of him, no doubt. So, everything that he has taught me, is the reason I know how to play good football now.”