EWU’s new quarterbacks coach Troy Taylor likes depth at QB

The quarterback tradition at Eastern Washington helped lure a top coach to Cheney last year.

Troy Taylor, a star at Cal in the early 1990s and a successful high school coach in Folsom, California, was eager for a new challenge.

“I knew they were prolific, but I also was impressed that there was a lot of carryover from what we did at Folsom – attacking the whole field,” Taylor said of the Eagles’ passing game.

Now that passing game is in Taylor’s hands. He’s working with three dissimilar quarterbacks in Gage Gubrud, Reilly Hennessey and Jordan West – any of whom could start this year.

“They’re all different but they’re all guys with a great work ethic and great focus, and I really like all of them,” said Taylor, who said he got a good feel for the Eagles’ system during spring ball.

“Now we’re hitting the ground running and focusing more attention to detail,” Taylor said.

Taylor certainly has the credentials to succeed. Until Jared Goff broke his record last year, Taylor was the career passing leader at Cal, with 8,126 yards. He later served as an assistant coach and radio analyst for the Bears before serving for four years as co-head coach at Folsom High School, near Sacramento, California.

Along with coach Beau Baldwin, Taylor has installed a simpler offensive system.

Says Baldwin: “It’s less about what we’re doing and more about how we operate between plays that takes things off the QB and allows him to do less communication.”

For Hennessey, that means more time on fundamentals and “using good technique and being good with our eyes and quick with our feet.”