Legendary Muskegon-area football coach remembered as humble champion

MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon community lost a Hall of Fame football coach, a legendary teacher and an iconic personality this past weekend with the passing of Dave Taylor.

The longtime Muskegon Big Reds football coach battled to the bitter end, just as many of his defenses did on the gridiron back in the 1980s, before passing away at the age of 83 on Sunday, Nov. 3, alongside his children Jeff and Mitzi after suffering from a long-term illness.

He was preceded in death by his wife Shirley in 2013.

Taylor is viewed by many as the coach who resurrected a Muskegon Big Reds football program that had fallen into mediocrity in the early 1980s. The defensive guru helped lead Muskegon to Class A state championships in 1986 and 1989 and was an assistant coach on the undefeated 1971 Muskegon squad that won a mythical state championship as well.

He played a pivotal role in helping re-establish Muskegon as the winningest program in Michigan high school football history with more than 900 wins all-time.

"Today, we mourn the loss of an extraordinary coach and mentor, whose impact on the game and community will never be forgotten," said the Muskegon Big Red Athletic Foundation via Facebook. "Coach Dave Taylor dedicated his life to shaping not just athletes, but individuals, instilling values of hard work, perseverance, and teamwork in every player.

"His commitment went far beyond the field; he was a pillar in our community, always ready to lend a helping hand and inspire the next generation. The countless lives he influenced and the tradition he helped build will forever be in our hearts.

"Thank you, Coach Taylor, for your unwavering devotion and the legacy you leave behind. You will always be remembered as a true Hall of Famer."

Taylor manned the sidelines for 32 years at Muskegon-area schools such as Fremont, Muskegon Heights, Mona Shores and Muskegon. He was named Coach of the Year in 1986, was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Michigan High School Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

The Hall of Fame coach would be the last one to take credit for his 195 wins and three state championships but his impact on the Muskegon-area community supersedes his humble nature according to his long-time friend, Jim Moyes.

"I have never met anybody in my many years on this planet who had less of an ego than Dave Taylor," he wrote in a dedication to his friend. "He never yearned for the limelight and always praised others and not himself over the years.

"Dave was a late inductee into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame because he never took the time or thought it important to be a member. However, the Association saw fit to award Taylor's achievements and Dave was happy to be so honored a few short years ago into the Michigan Football Coaches Hall of Fame."

A North Muskegon graduate in the class of 1959, Taylor was a three-sport star for the Norsemen in football, basketball and track. Taylor was described by Moyes as a one-man wrecking crew as a two-way starter at tackle and linebacker.

Taylor also helped North Muskegon capture a West Michigan Conference basketball championship in 1959 and broke the school record in the shot put in his first meet as a varsity track athlete.

The star athlete took his talents to Ferris State College upon high school graduation, where he developed into a two-way starter as both an offensive lineman and linebacker and was voted team captain and MVP of the Bulldogs in his final two seasons at the college level.

Taylor continued his football career as the starting linebacker for the Grand Rapids Blazers of the UFL before eventually returning to the Muskegon area to pursue a career in coaching and teaching.

He started his career as an assistant coach at Mona Shores High School before making his way to Muskegon High School under longtime head coach Larry Harp. When Harp eventually retired to take over as the school's athletic director, he pushed for Taylor to take the reins of the Big Reds program.

After initially turning the job down for a few years, Taylor was eventually convinced to take over the Muskegon football program and immediately saw success. Taylor eclipsed 100 career wins in just 14 seasons with the Big Reds, as they made the playoffs eight times during his tenure.

Taylor retired from coaching after the 1999 season, which set the stage for Muskegon's recent run of success under head coaches Tony Annese and Shane Fairfield. The Big Reds qualified for the postseason for 23 straight seasons, captured five state championships, made eight additional state championship game appearances, and won 14 regional titles and 17 district titles during that span.

"I was fortunate enough to know Dave and coach under him for one year when I was first getting started in coaching," said current Muskegon Big Reds football coach Shane Fairfield. "Dave was a defensive genius and he definitely brought an old-school mentality to the game. He believed in a physical, hard-nosed defensive philosophy and you were expected to go out there and hit people.

"When I first came over to Muskegon from (Muskegon) Catholic in 1999, he put me on the defensive side of the ball and allowed me to really grow, sit in on meetings with him and express my thoughts. We always did things his way at the end of the day, but I learned a lot from him in the short time that I worked with him.

"It was a great honor to coach with him. He's had an incredible impact on the entire community as both a coach and a teacher. He was a great man, a great influence to so many people and he really set the standard for not only Muskegon Big Reds football but for every coach to live up to. I credit all my successes to the reputation and the tradition that he established and upheld, and I take great pride in carrying on that tradition at Muskegon High School."

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