Jeff Traylor
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1968)}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Jeff Traylor
| image = Jeff Traylor UTSA 1.jpg
| caption = Traylor in 2021
| current_title = Head coach
| current_team = UTSA
| current_conference = The American
| current_record = 46–20
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|5|9}}
| birth_place = Gilmer, Texas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| player_years1 = 1986–1989
| player_team1 = Stephen F. Austin
| coach_years1 = 1989–1992
| coach_team1 = Big Sandy HS (TX) (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1993–1999
| coach_team2 = Jacksonville HS (TX) (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 2000–2014
| coach_team3 = Gilmer HS (TX)
| coach_years4 = 2015–2016
| coach_team4 = Texas (ST/TE)
| coach_years5 = 2017
| coach_team5 = SMU (AHC/RB)
| coach_years6 = 2018–2019
| coach_team6 = Arkansas (AHC/RB)
| coach_years7 = 2020–present
| coach_team7 = UTSA
| overall_record = 46–20 (college)
175–26 (high school)
| bowl_record = 2–3
| tournament_record =
| championships = 2 C-USA (2021, 2022)
1 C-USA West Division (2021)
| awards = 2× C-USA Coach of the Year (2021, 2022)
| coaching_records =
}}
Jeffrey Michael Traylor (born May 9, 1968) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a position he has held since the 2020 season.
Early life
Traylor attended Gilmer High School and graduated in 1986.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kltv.com/story/28107719/jeff-traylor-discuses-decision-to-leave-gilmer-for-texas|title=Jeff Traylor discusses decision to leave Gilmer for Texas|last=|first=|date=|website=www.kltv.com|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=December 10, 2019}} He attended Stephen F. Austin State University, where he was a walk-on for the Lumberjacks football program.{{Cite web|url=http://coe.sfasu.edu/students/kinesiology-health-science-edition|title=Kinesiology & Health Science Edition — PCOE|website=coe.sfasu.edu|access-date=December 10, 2019|archive-date=December 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210005652/http://coe.sfasu.edu/students/kinesiology-health-science-edition|url-status=dead}} He earned both his undergraduate (1990) and graduate (2002) degrees in education.{{Cite web|url=https://texassports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/jeff-traylor/984|title=Jeff Traylor - Football Coach|website=University of Texas Athletics|language=en|access-date=December 10, 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.dailysentinel.com/sports/and-the-winners-are-sfa-grads-honored-for-coaching-success/article_6a990532-e05f-11e2-bf31-0019bb2963f4.html |title=And the winners are ... SFA grads honored for coaching success |first=Kevin |last=Gore |date=June 28, 2013 |work=The Daily Sentinel (Texas) |access-date=November 29, 2023}}
Career
=High school=
Traylor began his coaching career at Big Sandy High School, where he spent four years as an assistant coach from 1989 to 1992. He was later hired as an assistant coach at Jacksonville High School from 1993 to 1999, where he served as passing coordinator, defensive backs coach, receivers coach and special teams coordinator. There, he helped coach future NFL quarterbacks Josh McCown and Luke McCown and former Texas A&M standout signal-caller Randy McCown.
Traylor then coached at Gilmer High School where he was named four-time Texas High School Coach of the Year for Class 4A, and posted a 175–26 record (.871 winning percentage). During his 15-year tenure, Traylor led the Buckeyes to appearances in five state championship games (2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2014), winning three state titles (2004, 2009, and 2014) and 12 district crowns. In 2015, Gilmer renamed Buckeye Stadium to Jeff Traylor Stadium to honor Traylor's success.{{cite web |url=https://texasredzonereport.com/2015/06/gilmers-buckeye-stadium-to-be-renamed-for-former-coach-traylor/ |title=Gilmer's Buckeye Stadium to be renamed for former coach Traylor |last=De Leon |first=Michael |date=June 25, 2015 |website=Texas Redzone Report |language=en-US |access-date=December 10, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150730163813/http://www.texasredzonereport.com/2015/06/gilmers-buckeye-stadium-to-be-renamed-for-former-coach-traylor/ |archive-date=July 30, 2015}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbs19.tv/article/news/buckeye-stadium-renamed-jeff-traylor-stadium-in-honor-of-football-coach/501-263621556 |title=Buckeye Stadium renamed "Jeff Traylor Stadium" in honor of football coach |first=Rachel |last=Jones |date=June 22, 2015 |work=KYTX |access-date=December 10, 2019}} At Gilmer, Traylor coached future NFL players Kenneth Pettway, Manuel Johnson, Curtis Brown, David Snow, G. J. Kinne, Gus Johnson, Blake Lynch, and Kris Boyd.
=Texas=
Traylor began his collegiate career in 2015 at the University of Texas at Austin as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach under Charlie Strong before becoming the Longhorns associate head coach for offense and wide receivers coach in 2016. While with the Texas Longhorns football program Traylor helped sign the No. 7-ranked recruiting class in the country in back-to-back years and was named Big 12 Recruiter of the Year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.burntorangenation.com/recruiting/2016/2/4/10917182/scout-texas-longhorns-assistant-coach-jeff-traylor-big-12-recruiter-of-the-year|title=Traylor named Scout's Big 12 Recruiter of the Year|last=Willis|first=Haisten|date=February 4, 2016|website=Burnt Orange Nation|language=en|access-date=December 9, 2019}}
=SMU=
In 2017, Traylor became the associate head coach and running backs coach for Southern Methodist University{{cite web |url=https://247sports.com/college/smu/Article/Former-Texas-assistant-coach-Jeff-Taylor-joins-SMU-footballs-coaching-staff-74926158/ |title=Jeff Traylor joins SMU coaching staff |first=Patrick |last=Engel |date=February 9, 2017 |website=PonyStampede.com |language=en-US |access-date=December 9, 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.kltv.com/story/37011851/chad-morris-to-arkansas-is-official-jeff-traylor-named-smu-interim-head-coach |title=Chad Morris to Arkansas is official, Jeff Traylor named SMU interim head coach |date=December 6, 2017 |work=KLTV |access-date=December 10, 2019}} before joining the Arkansas Razorbacks in the same role.{{cite web |url=https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/coache/jeff-traylor/ |title=Jeff Traylor Bio |website=Arkansas Razorbacks |language=en-US |access-date=December 10, 2019}} Both of these jobs were under coach Chad Morris who had also previously been a Texas high school coach.
=Arkansas=
For the 2018 and 2019 football seasons, Traylor served as the associate head coach and running back coach at the University of Arkansas under head coach Chad Morris.{{cite web |url=https://www.texasfootball.com/articles/article/default.aspx?url=2019/12/09/utsa-hires-former-texas-high-school-football-head-coach-to-lead-program |title=UTSA to hire former Texas high school football head coach to lead program |first=Shehan |last=Jeyarajah |date=December 9, 2019 |website=Dave Campbell's Texas Football |access-date=December 10, 2019}}
=UTSA=
In December 2019, Traylor left the Arkansas Razorbacks football program to become the third head coach in program history at UTSA.{{cite web |url=https://goutsa.com/news/2019/12/9/utsa-names-jeff-traylor-new-head-football-coach.aspx |title=UTSA names Jeff Traylor new head football coach |date=December 9, 2019 |website=UTSA Athletics |language=en |access-date=December 9, 2019}}{{cite web |url=http://www.utsa.edu/today/2019/12/story/traylor-jeff-announcement.html |title=UTSA names Jeff Traylor new head football coach |date=December 9, 2019 |website=UTSA.edu |language=en |access-date=December 10, 2019}}
Traylor tested positive for COVID-19 on December 23, 2020, and missed the 2020 First Responder Bowl as a result.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30591200/texas-san-antonio-football-coach-jeff-traylor-tests-positive-covid-19-ahead-saturday-bowl-game |title=Texas-San Antonio football coach Jeff Traylor tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of Saturday bowl game |last=Khan |first=Sam Jr. |date=December 23, 2020 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=March 8, 2021}}
In 2021, Traylor led the Roadrunners to their best start in program history for a season, winning their first eleven regular season games before finishing the regular season 11-1. The UTSA Roadrunners also secured their first conference championship, defeating Western Kentucky 49-41,{{cite web |url=http://archive.statbroadcast.com/380457.pdf |title=Final Statistics: 2021 Conference USA Championship |date=December 3, 2021 |website=Conference USA |access-date=December 3, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204041812/http://archive.statbroadcast.com/380457.pdf |archive-date=December 4, 2021}} followed by a bowl bid to the 2021 Frisco Bowl, losing to San Diego State University by a score of 38-24,{{cite web |url= https://thefriscobowl.com/news/san-diego-state-wins-the-2021-tropical-smoothie-cafe-frisco-bowl/ |title=San Diego State Wins The 2021 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl |date=December 21, 2021 |website=thefriscobowl.com |access-date=December 21, 2021}} posting a final record for the year of 12-2.
Head coaching record
=High school=
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align:center"
|+ class="nowrap" | Football Season Record Table | |||||||
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Carthage Bulldogs | Season | Conf | Dist | Overall Record | District Record | Playoff Record | School | Notes}} | |||||||
| 2000 | rowspan="2" | 3A D1 | rowspan="2" | 16 | 6-4 | rowspan="15" | Gilmer High School (175-26) | |||
| 2001 | 8-3 | 0-1 | |||||
| 2002 | rowspan="4" | 3A D2 | rowspan="2" | 11 | 8-3 | 0-1 | |||
| 2003 | 13-1 | 3-1 | State Quarterfinalist | ||||
| 2004 | rowspan="2" | 13 | 16-0 | 4-0 | 6-0 | State Champion | ||
| 2005 | 10-2 | 4-0 | 1-1 | ||||
| 2006 | rowspan="2" | 3A D1 | rowspan="2" | 15 | 10-1 | 5-0 | 0-1 | ||
| 2007 | 14-1 | 5-0 | 4-1 | State Runner Up | |||
| 2008 | rowspan="6" | 3A D2 | rowspan="2" | 17 | 12-2 | 5-0 | 3-1 | State Quarterfinalist | |
| 2009 | 15-0 | 5-0 | 5-0 | State Champion | |||
| 2010 | rowspan="4" | 16 | 9-4 | 4-1 | 2-1 | |||
| 2011 | 13-1 | 5-0 | 3-1 | State Quarterfinalist | |||
| 2012 | 14-2 | 6-0 | 5-1 | State Runner Up | |||
| 2013 | 11-2 | 5-1 | 2-1 | ||||
| 2014 | rowspan="10" | 4A D2 | rowspan="2" | 5 | 16-0 | 5-0 | 6-0 | State Champion |
=College=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type=coach | team= | conf= | bowl= | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UTSA Roadrunners
| conf = Conference USA
| startyear = 2020
| endyear = 2022
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| year = 2020
| name = UTSA
| overall = 7–5
| conference = 5–2
| confstanding = 2nd (West)
| bowlname = First Responder*
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2021
| name = UTSA
| overall = 12–2
| conference = 7–1
| confstanding = 1st (West)
| bowlname = Frisco
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2022
| name = UTSA
| overall = 11–3
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = Cure
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UTSA Roadrunners
| conf = American Athletic Conference
| startyear = 2023
| endyear =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2023
| name = UTSA
| overall = 9–4
| conference = 7–1
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname = Frisco
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2024
| name = UTSA
| overall = 7–6
| conference = 4–4
| confstanding = T-6th
| bowlname = Myrtle Beach
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2025
| name = UTSA
| overall = 0–0
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = UTSA
| overall = 46–20
| confrecord = 31–8
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 46–20
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend =
}}
- Prior to the 2020 First Responder Bowl, Jeff Traylor tested positive for COVID-19. Associate head coach Barry Lunney Jr. was UTSA's acting head coach for the game.
Personal life
Traylor married his wife, Cari, in 1992. They have three children: Jordan, Jake, and Jaci.{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/extreme-challenges-facing-firstyear-college-football-coaches-in-wake-of-coronavirus-pandemic-201214186.html|title=First-year college football coaches facing 'extreme challenges' in wake of coronavirus pandemic|website=sports.yahoo.com|language=en-US|access-date=March 31, 2020}} Jordan played as a quarterback for Gilmer High School and the Texas A&M Aggies, and is currently an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints.{{cite web |title=Jordan Traylor |url=https://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/coaches-roster/jordan-traylor |website=www.neworleanssaints.com |access-date=29 September 2022}} Jake works for NBC as a political reporter.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://goutsa.com/staff-directory/jeff-traylor/1420 UTSA profile]
- [https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/coache/jeff-traylor/ Arkansas profile]
- [https://texassports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/jeff-traylor/984 Texas profile]
{{UTSA Roadrunners football coach navbox}}
{{American Athletic Conference football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Traylor, Jeff}}
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches
Category:SMU Mustangs football coaches
Category:Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football players
Category:Texas Longhorns football coaches
Category:UTSA Roadrunners football coaches
Category:High school football coaches in Texas
Category:Sportspeople from Gilmer, Texas
Category:Coaches of American football from Texas
Category:Players of American football from Upshur County, Texas