Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
| Eric Taylor | |
|---|---|
Always" | |
| Portrayed by | Kyle Chandler |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Head Coach of the Pemberton Pioneers Former Head Coach of the East Dillon Lions Former Quarterbacks' Coach of Texas Methodist University Former Head Coach of the Dillon Panthers Former Athletic Director of Dillon High School Former Junior Varsity Head Coach of the Dillon Panthers Former Quarterbacks' Coach of the Dillon Panthers |
| Family | Shelley Hayes (sister-in-law) Matt Saracen (son-in-law) |
| Spouse | Tami Taylor |
| Children | Julie Taylor (daughter) Gracie Taylor (daughter) |
Eric Taylor is a fictional character and the central
Background
It is stated throughout the series that Coach Taylor grew up in Texas and played football as a young man. It is also hinted that he knew his wife, Tami, in high school and that they married fairly young.
Before becoming the head coach of the Dillon Panthers, he was the Quarterbacks coach, Junior High School, and Junior Varsity coach for 6 years. He was Jason Street's QB coach throughout Pop Warner, Junior High, and High School. Due to Jason's past success under Coach Taylor's tutelage, he was promoted to High School head coach prior to Jason's senior year.
Characterization
As a coach, Taylor is firm but fair to his players and is against nepotism. It is thought he gained this characteristic while a protege to the great Enda, who Coach Taylor once stated "is a legend." This put him at odds with Joe McCoy, and ultimately led to his ousting and subsequent transfer to East Dillon High. He is held in high regard as a "molder of men"[1] and greatly respected by his players, many of whom lacked a father figure or significant male role model in their lives and saw him as a surrogate father. As his former star quarterback, Jason Street, once says to him, "You [Taylor] will always be my coach".[2] His high school counselor-turned-principal wife, Tami, often grouses about how the lines between football and academics at Dillon High are blurred and the fact that there is the perception that football players can get away with anything. Nonetheless, his strong sense of morality is seen a number of times, such as when he suspends Smash Williams for using steroids, personally apologizes to a student who was beaten up by one of his hot-headed defensive ends, Bobby Reyes, and does not hesitate to punish players for disobeying rules, whether on the field or off. He has a dislike for anything that distracts his players, and is actively opposed to media attention and the hype surrounding his team.
Taylor loves his family very much and is much more affectionate around his wife, contrasting with the brusque and "hard-ass" football coach image he maintains at practices and games. He and their daughter, Julie, are close but relations between them are strained for a while when she goes through a rebellious phase in season 2. Despite her dislike of football, Julie is often seen at games cheering her father on, and Taylor tries his best to relate to her, taking her to the father-daughter dance and playing table tennis in their garage. He is also unfailingly polite to other Dillon residents, often biting back his annoyance at their armchair coaching, and never forgets to address the elderly Lorraine Saracen as "ma'am."
Storylines
Season 1
During the
Season 2
Taylor decides to leave his position at TMU and rejoin the Panthers, after Buddy Garrity and the boosters fire his replacement due to frustration with the team's performance during the first two games, in which they posted a 1-1 record. After Taylor's return, the Panthers go on a prolonged winning streak, qualifying for the playoffs with an 8-2 record. However, their quest for a second consecutive state title falls short, as the Panthers lose in the state quarterfinal, ending the season with a 9-3 record.
Season 3
Again, as in season 1, quarterback controversy surrounds the Panthers the entire year, with a conflict emerging between veteran, Matt Saracen, and young phenom, J.D. McCoy. The two share playing time for the first few games of the season, after which time Taylor decides to start McCoy and demote Saracen to second string. Determined to win back a starting role, Saracen, with the help of his girlfriend and coach's daughter, Julie Taylor, convinces Coach Taylor to give him a starting role as a wide receiver. Saracen plays well in his new role, and along with McCoy and Riggins, helps the Panthers post their strongest regular season under Coach Taylor, as they cruised into the playoffs with a 9-1 record. For the second time in three seasons, the Panthers reached the state final. However, McCoy breaks down mentally and the Panthers find themselves losing by a huge margin at halftime, again. Sensing McCoy's immaturity, Taylor decides to play Saracen at quarterback in the second half, in which Matt leads the Panthers to a tremendous comeback. However, poor time management causes the Panthers to relinquish their lead, as they fall in the final seconds of the state championship, 30-28. The Panthers end the season with a 12-2 mark.
Season 4
West Dillon decides not to renew Coach Taylor's contract, as Joe McCoy's influence leads the boosters and the school board to select Wade Aikmen, J.D. McCoy's personal quarterback coach, as the new Panther Head Coach. Taylor's failure to comply with McCoy and Aikmen's demands and total control of offensive play calling and assurance that J.D. will start every game leads to his departure.
Taylor is selected to coach the new team at the newly re-opened East Dillon High School, where he has to start from scratch. He finds an unlikely ally in Buddy Garrity, who is disgusted by McCoy's behavior and manipulation. In the first game, the East Dillon Lions looked completely overmatched, trailing 45-0 at halftime, at which time Taylor decides to forfeit the game due mostly to his players' injuries. Taylor eventually apologizes for this decision, as it demoralizes his players and takes him several days to win back their respect.
After the first game, Buddy Garrity switches allegiances due to his frustration with Panther leadership, and alerts Coach Taylor to the real address of West Dillon star running back, Luke Cafferty, who must attend East Dillon due to his real address. During the season, under Taylor's tutelage, sophomore quarterback, Vince Howard, emerges as one of the state's best players. With Howard and the acquisition of Cafferty from West Dillon, the Lions end the season respectably, defeating West Dillon in the final game on a field goal by Landry Clarke. Although the Lions end the season with a poor 2-8 mark, Taylor, Howard, and Cafferty lay the foundation for the next year's championship team.
Season 5
The Lions begin the season on a roll, winning their first seven games, including a blowout of crosstown rival West Dillon. During the season, under the influence of his father, Vince Howard becomes corrupted by the recruitment process, which causes the end of the Lions' winning streak. Vince's temporary selfishness forces Coach Taylor to bench him and start Cafferty at quarterback. In the meantime, Taylor is again courted by another college in Florida.[3][4] Although the offense struggles when Howard is benched, Cafferty leads the Lions to a thrilling last second victory, in which they clinch a playoff berth.
Howard realizes his mistakes and grows into a mature leader toward the end of the season, leading the Lions to dominate throughout the playoffs and reach the state final. Howard throws a
Coach Taylor's Record
As head coach of the Panthers for 3 seasons and Lions for 2, Eric Taylor compiled an impressive 43-16 record, including 4 playoff appearances, 3 state finals appearances, and 2 state championships. With the Panthers, Taylor compiled a record of 28-7, including 11-2 and 12-2 seasons; 2006 in which he won the state final and 2008 in which he reached the state final, respectively. With the Lions, Taylor compiled a record of 15-9, including a 13-1 mark in 2010, in which he won his second state title.
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| Dillon Panthers | 2006
|
6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 5 | 0 | 100 | Defeated West Cambria Mustangs in the State Title Game |
| Dillon Panthers | 2007
|
4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 1 | 1 | 50 | Lost to Arnett Mead Tigers in state quarterfinal |
| Dillon Panthers | 2008
|
9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 3 | 1 | 75 | Lost to South Texas Titans in the State Title Game |
| East Dillon Lions | 2009
|
2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | - | - | - | - |
| East Dillon Lions | 2010
|
8 | 1 | 0 | .889 | 5 | 0 | 100 | Defeated Hudgins Hawks in the State Title Game |
| Total | 29 | 14 | 0 | .674 | 14 | 2 | .875 | ||
Reception
He was listed in
References
- Expectations". Friday Night Lights. Season 5. Episode 1. October 27, 2010. NBC.
- What To Do While You're Waiting". Friday Night Lights. Season 1. Episode 12. January 10, 2007. NBC.
- Perfect Record". Friday Night Lights. Season 5. Episode 7. December 15, 2010. NBC.
- Gut Check". Friday Night Lights. Season 5. Episode 9. January 12, 2011. NBC.
- Viacom. December 7, 2011. Archived from the originalon February 13, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ Reid, Jefferson (June 8, 2009). "Greatest TV Dad". AOL TV. Aol, Inc. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ Kubicek, John (June 12, 2008). "15 Hottest TV Dads: #13 - Eric Taylor, Friday Night Lights". BuddyTV. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ Potts, Kimberly (February 11, 2008). "Best TV Couples of All Time". AOL TV. Aol, Inc. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ^ "Couples Pictures, Friday Night Lights Photos - Photo Gallery: The Best TV Couples of All Time". TV Guide. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
- ^ Berman, Judy (December 22, 2011). "The Best TV Characters of 2011". Flavorwire. Retrieved July 20, 2012.