Sep 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive analyst coach Taylor Mays before the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Washington Huskies To Hire Former USC Trojans All-American Taylor Mays As Safeties Coach

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI
By Kendell Hollowell | Last updated Jan 16, 2025 6:45 AM ET

The Washington Huskies are set to hire former USC Trojans All-American safety and current assistant defensive backs coach Taylor Mays as its new safeties coach. Mays is the third member of the Trojans coaching staff to leave following the 2024 season, joining former linebackers coach Matt Entz, who is now the head coach at Fresno State and former offensive line coach Josh Henson, who is now the offensive coordinator at Purdue.

USC tight ends coach Zach Hanson has transitioned from the Trojans tight ends coach to the new offensive line coach, and they hired Chad Savage from Colorado State as their new tight ends/inside receiver's coach. Savage brings has strong recruiting ties in Southern California to the Trojans staff. And the Lincoln Riley is still working to fill the vacant linebackers coach position.

Mays joins Jedd Fisch’s staff to fill the void left by former safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri, who left to become the defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State. He returns home to the Pacific Northwest where he was the No. 1 prospect coming out of the state of Washington in 2026. His father, Stafford Mays played defensive tackle for the Huskies in the late 1970s before playing nine seasons in the NFL.

His resume speaks for itself, as true freshman in 2006, he earned Second Team All-American honors and then preceded to be named a First Team All-American for the next three seasons. Mays was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft and played seven seasons in the pros.

The former All-American returned to his alma mater in 2022, where he joined the Trojans coaching staff as a defensive analyst and was then promoted prior to the start of the 2024 season to assistant defensive backs coach. He worked hand in hand with USC defensive coach D'Anton Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk this past season.

Mays played a crucial role in the development of cornerback Jaylin Smith. The Trojans versatile defensive back played very position during his time in the Cardinal and Gold before becoming a full-time cornerback in 2024 and is now all over NFL radars.

“Naturally you would think I would just want to be in the safety room, but I ended up gravitating more to the corners and working with the corners,” Mays said in November.

Mays has established a recruiting footprint in Southern California to along with his Washington ties and is certainly a big addition to the Huskies coaching staff.

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: