Louisville Hires Lance Taylor as Offensive Coordinator
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has made another big time addition to their coaching staff.
Head coach Scott Satterfield announced Sunday that the Cardinals have hired Notre Dame running backs coach/run game coordinator Lance Taylor as their next offensive coordinator.
"When looking for an offensive coach, I wanted an outstanding teacher and communicator, and Lance brings that to our staff," Satterfield said in a release. "Lance possesses all the qualities I look for when hiring an offensive coordinator. His experience and knowledge allows me to oversee all aspects of our program and brings a wealth of ideas to our offensive staff.
"He will be a perfect fit with what we are trying to do offensively and I'm just excited we were able to hire a coach with this kind of pedigree and respect."
The Cardinals have not had a true offensive coordinator since the 2020 season, when that title was held by offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. After he left for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, head coach Scott Satterfield opted to split the traditional OC duties amongst all five offensive assistant coaches for the 2021 season.
A native of Mt. Vernon, Ala., Taylor brings to Louisville a wealth of experience from both the college ranks and the NFL. He not only guided Kyren Williams to back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons under his tutelage, but helped land marquee recruits Chris Tyree, Logan Diggs and Jadarian Price during his three years in South Bend.
Before his stint with the Fighting Irish, he spent two seasons in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers from 2017 to 2018 as their wide receivers coach. There, he helped mold players such as D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel, who combined for 94 catches for 1,282 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018.
His most noteworthy coaching achievement came when he was the running backs coach at Stanford from 2014 to 2016. He played a large role in developing both Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love, who each had runner-up finishes for the Heisman Trophy.
Taylor also has prior stops with the New York Jets, Appalachian State and Alabama. He played wide receiver from the Crimson Tide from 2000 to 2003.
With the hire, the Cardinals will have officially filled all 10 assistant coaching positions. The lone spot to be filled on the offensive side of the ball was tight ends coach/special teams coordinator after Stu Holt left for Virginia Tech. although the "configuration of the offensive assistants will come at a later date", according to the Courier-Journal's Cameron Teague.
Taylor is the fourth major hire amongst the coaching and support staff this offseason. Satterfield also hired Florida's Wesley McGriff as co-defensive coordinator, Georgia's Ben Sowders as the director of strength and conditioning, and former Cardinal Deion Branch as the director of player development.
Louisville finished the 2021 season with a mark of 6-7 (4-4 in ACC), including a 31-28 loss in the First Responder Bowl against Air Force.
(Photo of Lance Taylor: Mark J. Rebilas - USA TODAY Sports)
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