Former Husker quarterback Zac Taylor seems to be a popular target for NFL teams in need of a new head coach.
According to various reports — most notably from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport — Taylor is a legitimate candidate for at least three franchises. Taylor, quarterbacks coach of the Los Angeles Rams, will interview with the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos on Saturday, and the Cincinnati Bengals have also requested an interview, which according to Sports Illustrated will likely take place Friday.
Taylor has been credited as a key cog in the Rams’ explosive offense that produced the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. Los Angeles ranks fifth in the league in passing yards per game, and quarterback Jared Goff has thrown for 4,688 yards (fourth) and 32 touchdowns (tied for sixth) this season.
Taylor started every game as Nebraska’s quarterback in 2005 and 2006, winning Big 12 player of the year as a senior. He embarked on his coaching career after a year in the Canadian Football League.
He got his start as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M for his now-father-in-law Mike Sherman. He then worked for the Miami Dolphins from 2012-15, eventually rising to offensive coordinator. He spent 2016 in the collegiate ranks with Cincinnati before returning to the NFL in 2017 on head coach Sean McVay’s staff in Los Angeles.
He joined the Rams as the assistant wide receivers coach and was elevated to quarterbacks coach for the 2018 season. In a Sports Illustrated article about Taylor published last month, McVay called Taylor “instrumental” to the Rams’ offense.
“There’s a refreshing security that Zac has in himself,” McVay told SI. “He has great emotional intelligence and awareness for how to communicate in a way that makes people’s guards go down. That’s a great trait for a coach to have.”
