Jucqui Taylor joins the West Liberty University football staff as Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Assistant, bringing a strong background in defensive coaching, special teams organization, and elite player development at the NCAA Division II level.
Taylor comes to the Hilltopper program after serving as cornerbacks coach and assistant defensive backs coach at California University of Pennsylvania, where he helped guide one of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s most productive defenses. During the 2025 season, Cal ranked fourth in the PSAC in scoring defense (23.5 ppg) and fifth in total defense (341.6 ypg), while also finishing among the league leaders in takeaways, sacks, red zone defense, and defensive efficiency.
In addition to his work with the secondary, Taylor played a key role in Cal’s special teams units, which ranked first in the PSAC in kickoff return average (27.9 yards) and third in punt return average (13.1 yards). The Vulcans advanced to the second round of the NCAA Super Region One playoffs during his tenure.
Taylor has a proven track record of developing elite talent, highlighted by coaching defensive back Rashan Murray, a PSAC First-Team selection, D2CCA First-Team All-Region honoree, two-time All-American, and D2Football.com Elite 100 selection who later transferred to the University of Pittsburgh.
His responsibilities at Cal included position-specific coaching, opponent film breakdown, practice planning, game planning assistance, and full management of special teams on game day. Taylor was also actively involved in recruiting, including transfer portal evaluations and on-campus recruiting operations.
As a player, Taylor competed at both the Division III and Division II levels, beginning his collegiate career at Bethany College, where he was a two-year starter and ECAC Bowl participant, before transferring to Slippery Rock University. He was a member of Slippery Rock’s 2018 PSAC West Championship team that advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
A native of Uniontown, Pa., Taylor earned bachelor’s degrees in Communication Media Studies from Bethany College and Communication with a focus in Digital Media from Slippery Rock University, where he was a Dean’s List honoree. He is AFCA Professional Development certified and is proficient in HUDL and multiple recruiting platforms.
Taylor’s energy, defensive knowledge, and commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the field make him a valuable addition to the Hilltopper football program.
