Memorial Day Weekend was memorable for Josh Taylor – but not quite in a way he’d have preferred.
Set to start a fifth season as Spring Hill’s defensive coordinator, Taylor was appointed the Raiders’ interim coach after Ben Martin was not retained for a eighth year.
“I hate it for him, but I’m definitely excited for the future and the opportunity,” said Taylor, who prior to joining Martin’s staff at Spring Hill served as an assistant for four seasons at Columbia Central, after a year at Summit and four as freshman coach at Central.
“We’re really proud of the work we’ve put in since December, which is the part I really hate for Coach Martin. A lot of people think the season starts in July when ‘dead period’ ends, but we’ve been going at this thing since December in the weight room, getting a plan. Our boys are getting better.
“My message to the team is that: We came to do a thing. We’ve got a plan; stick to the plan. Let’s crank up the intensity, let’s go capture everything we’ve been planning on. Don’t change the plan, even though our head coach is gone.”
Martin and Taylor were each informed of the change over the holiday, bringing to an end the tenure of the 1988 Spring Hill graduate atop the Raider program after seven less-than-successful seasons.
“Not the best record (10-60),” the 55-year-old Martin said. “There were a lot of challenges, not to make excuses.”
The early portion of Martin’s reign included the 2019 death of an assistant, line coach Will Fisher, who suffered a fatal heart attack, followed by the COVID nightmare that wracked both the 2020 and ‘21 campaigns. Spring Hill also transitioned into Class 5A competition and was grouped with Midstate toughies Page and Nolensville for a portion of that time.
“Could I have done some things better? Maybe,” he said. “But I don’t think I’d have done them any differently. Our thing was ‘building men for others,’ and I felt like that’s what we tried to do. I wanted to win every time we went on the field, but I don’t think I’d have done it any differently.”
After beginning his coaching career at his alma mater on a non-faculty basis, Martin moved into the classroom as a biology instructor, while working to gain his certification. He was granted a three-year permit to do so. Upon completing his studies, however, Martin did not pass the Praxis exam necessary for certification.
“There was some confusion over whether I could move to a different permit,” he said.
At that time, Martin said he was informed by second-year Spring Hill principal Brian Brewer that there were no other teaching positions available in the building.
“I let him know my first (three) years I was a non-faculty coach and I was qualified to do that, and he said he understood,” Martin said. “Friday (May 23) he called me in and told me he’d come to the decision that he needed his football coach to be in the building and he didn’t have a place in the building for me, so he was going to relieve me of my coaching duties.
“It obviously took me aback. We’d had a conversation earlier that he assured me he wanted me to be the coach. I didn’t know what had changed that he’d come to that decision.”
When reached, Brewer provided a statement:
“Spring Hill High School wants to thank Coach Martin for his years of dedication to our student-athletes. As we start a new chapter … under Coach Taylor, we look forward to the continued growth of our football program and the student-athletes that participate in it.
“We appreciate the continuing support of our community and are excited to see our athletes compete on our new field in the fall!”
With the Raiders having recently completed spring practice and just “91 days,” by Martin’s count, from their Aug. 22 season opener against Summit, the move was a stunner to say the least.
“They love Coach Martin,” Taylor said regarding the team, which heads into 2025 looking to improve on back-to-back 2-8 finishes. “He got to address the team Tuesday, and you could see he was hurting. They were hurting for him, and so was the coaching staff.
“(But) I think they’re excited for me. I have a pretty good relationship with the boys. They know I want to be a head coach. I haven’t made that a secret at all. I love being at Spring Hill, I’m so glad to be the head coach at Spring Hill. They’re going to miss Coach Martin, but I think they’re still excited for the year.”
Taylor, 37, anticipates maintaining his current role for the ‘25 campaign, with his situation to be revisited at the end of the year.
“The plan, to my understanding, is that I will be the head coach through the season. Then whatever happens after that, I will find out,” he said. “I’m going to take it one day at a time, one week at a time, and hopefully I do a good enough job that they see fit that i deserve this opportunity to be the permanent head coach. I just want to have a good season this year and then we’ll see.
“I appreciate everything Coach Martin has done for me. When I wound up going out to Spring Hill, he didn’t have to have me join the staff and I’m sure a lot of people told him not to, but he did. He knew I wanted to be a head coach and he’s helped me so many times, given me advice – ‘this is what you’re going to have to do one day when you’re a head coach.’ It happened a little different than both of us saw it happening, but I’m excited to be able to take on this task. We’ll see how it goes.”
While the Raiders pursue just their second postseason appearance since former coach Jay Emmons led the program to back-to-back playoff berths in 2016 and ‘17 before departing, meanwhile, Martin considers his next move.
“I’ve got to make a decision if I want to finish out and teach and coach for a few more years until they say you’re supposed to retire,” he said. “I’ve got to weigh that out. I need some time to figure out some things.
“Obviously I care very deeply about Spring Hill High School and that’s not going to change. It was kind of my dream job. I think it’d do me some good to get back in (coaching), but at the same time, there may be some other possibilities.”
Loading Related Articles