The Washington Huskies are poised to hire former USC Trojans All-American safety and current assistant defensive backs coach Taylor Mays as their new safeties coach. Mays becomes the third member of the Trojans coaching staff to depart after the 2024 season, following former linebackers coach Matt Entz, now the head coach at Fresno State, and former offensive line coach Josh Henson, now the offensive coordinator at Purdue.
USC’s tight ends coach Zach Hanson has moved into the role of offensive line coach, and Chad Savage has been brought in from Colorado State as the new tight ends/inside receivers coach, bringing strong recruiting ties to Southern California. Meanwhile, Lincoln Riley is still working to fill the vacant linebackers coach position.
Mays joins head coach Jedd Fisch’s staff to fill the position left by former safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri, who became the defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State. Mays returns to the Pacific Northwest, where he was the top recruit from Washington in the 2006 class. His father, Stafford Mays, played defensive tackle for the Huskies in the late 1970s and later had a nine-season NFL career.
Mays’ impressive career includes earning Second Team All-American honors as a freshman in 2006, followed by First Team All-American accolades for the next three years. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and played seven seasons in the NFL.
After returning to his alma mater in 2022 as a defensive analyst, Mays was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach ahead of the 2024 season, working closely with USC defensive coach D’Anton Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk. He played a key role in the development of cornerback Jaylin Smith, who became a full-time cornerback in 2024 and is now attracting NFL attention.
Mays expressed his natural inclination to work with cornerbacks, despite initially being expected to focus on safeties. His experience and connections in both Southern California and Washington make him a significant addition to Washington’s coaching staff.
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