BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Christian Taylor has been named as the offensive coordinator for Illinois Wesleyan, IWU head coach Norm Eash announced Thursday, Feb. 27.

Taylor replaces Billy Dicken, who left to become the wide receivers coach at Division I Illinois State.

Taylor has spent the past two seasons as the running back coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of San Diego.
"Illinois Wesleyan speaks for itself," said Taylor. "It's a heck of an academic school, has excellent football tradition, is in a great league and has wonderful facilities."

Eash said he was impressed that Taylor "understands" the demands that IWU places on academics with similar-type situations at William & Mary and San Diego, which both compete in the Football Championship Subdivision.

In 2011 Taylor was an offensive football analyst at the University of Michigan, working with a team that went 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl, and he was an offensive assistant at San Diego State in 2010 with a team that was 9-4 and won the Poinsettia Bowl.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke gave Taylor a high recommendation, said Eash. "Hoke talked to me for 45 minutes and thought Christian is an up-and-coming coach," said Eash. "He's organized and very innovative."

"My background is similar to Coach Eash's. We're both a pro-style, West Coast offense," said Taylor. "Basically it's the same thing except different terminology."

Taylor is a 2007 graduate with a degree in kinesiology from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.  While there he earned a pair of varsity letters as a quarterback for the Tribe and was a four-year member of the team's travel squad.

After graduation, Taylor spent two seasons on the William and Mary coaching staff (2008-09), gaining experience coaching tight ends (2008) and quarterbacks (2009). He also had responsibilities with the place-kickers, the video editing system, and in the team's recruiting efforts.

IWU is coming off a 9-2 season in which it qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Titans open the season Sept. 6 against Franklin (Ind.) at Tucci Stadium.