High school football stunner: Casey Taylor is out at Capital Christian
Football has no true offseason as coaches and players come and go.
Sometimes, a coaching departure comes across as a thunderbolt. Like this: Casey Taylor is out at Capital Christian High School.
One of the most accomplished coaches in all of Northern California from his tenure at Del Oro and Capital, Taylor was one of nine teachers/staffers laid off by Capital Christian on Tuesday, the grim news rooted in part to the spread of coronavirus, leading to shuttered classrooms, uncertainty when classes would resume and having the same concerns as other private schools across the state in terms of tuition assistance being cut or reduced. It has not helped that Capital Christian has seen a dip in enrollment in recent years, down to 388 this academic year.
Capital Christian Head of Schools Tim Wong in an email to Capital staff that was obtained by The Bee wrote, in part, “I am sorry. This is not what we were hoping for. It is difficult to predict the future ... It’s okay if you are angry. I am angry, too. It’s okay if you are sad. I am feeling that weight on my heart as well. ....
“We are in a war (with coronavirus). We are fighting an enemy that is ‘unseen’ yet can and has caused a great deal of damage. As such, we need to continue to fight the good fight, to press on together, and to pray for each other.”
Wong could not be immediately reached. He planned to communicate with parents and staffers throughout Wednesday, according to his email.
Taylor’s name was easily recognized on the laid-off list since he headed the most high-profile program on campus. Taylor made an immediate impact upon his arrival at Capital Christian before the 2017 season, winning 30 games in three seasons to go with three league championships and a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III banner. Capital’s top 5 Bee rankings in each of the past three seasons were also the highest in the history of the school, which opened in 1977.
Capital Christian hired Taylor away from Del Oro with visions of becoming a powerhouse football program after years of success at the Division V level. The Cougars are without a football coach and facing sudden questions of if it can maintain the momentum Taylor started.
Taylor said he was stunned by the news a week after his 50th birthday. But per his nature, Taylor remains optimistic. He will coach again, saying, “It’s what I do, and I feel that I’m on top of my game. I have a lot to give.”
Taylor added, “My family and I loved our experience at Capital. We’re proud of what we accomplished. We didn’t want to leave, and we were looking forward to this upcoming season. We will cherish the relations we made there. I’m excited to move on to the next chapter in my coaching career. The best is yet to come.”
Taylor said the most difficult part of the abrupt end is that there was no opportunity to say goodbye to his players. With school out due to the coronavirus, he had no in-person access to student-athletes.
“I feel for the players, our coaches, everyone involved in our program,” Taylor said. “I worry about them. Usually, I can text players a, ‘Hey, meet in weight room later for a meeting.’ So I group-texted them about the news. I’ll miss those kids, great kids.”
Taylor is sure to boost any program as he seeks a coaching position that includes a teaching position. In his 15 seasons at Del Oro, Taylor guided 14 playoff teams and reached a Sac-Joaquin Section final nine times, winning six championships. The Golden Eagles reached a CIF State final four times under Taylor, winning a championship in 2015 and nearly repeating in 2016.
“He’s a great coach,” Inderkum coach Terry Stark said of Taylor. “He knows how to build a football program. There’s no doubt, he’s a heck of a football coach. Someone’s going to get a great one.”
Other coaches who have stepped down or moved on this offseason include: Jeff Walters, Justin Reber, Jason Tenner, Matt Ray, Travis Barker, Jack Garceau, Leonard Casillas, Spencer Kramer and Kramer Hagen.
