University of Texas head football coach Charlie Strong added to his football staff on Friday with the addition of veteran Texas high school football coach Jeff Traylor. Traylor will serve as an Assistant Coach for Tight Ends at UT.
— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011
Traylor, who won 3 state championships as head coach of the Gilmer Buckeyes, fills the position previously held by Bruce Chambers. After a 17-year career at Texas, Chamber was released by Charlie Strong just days after the Longhorns lost to Arkansas in the Texas Bowl, 31-7.
Traylor’s accomplishments during his 15 seasons with the Gilmer program:'”
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[*]175 wins
[*]26 losses (only five losses total in the last four seasons)
[*]14 consecutive playoff appearances
[*]40 playoff wins
[*]5 state championship appearances (2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014)
[*]3 state championship titles (2004, 2009, 2014)
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Traylor’s tenure with the Buckeyes transcends coaching – he was the quarterback for the Buckeyes in his high school playing days. Opportunities for Traylor to coach elsewhere have been plentiful, but he chose to stay in Gilmer. Given Traylor’s relationship with the local community, leaving his home town of Gilmer for an opportunity to coach in Austin is a significant move.
One of the best offensive minds in the state’s high school coaching ranks, Traylor should transition to being a position coach at the college level quickly. In addition to coaching tight ends, there has been speculation that special teams would also be a focus for whoever replaced Chambers. Traylor’s Gilmer teams have consistently excelled in the area of special teams.
At UT, Traylor will be reunited with highly-rated defensive back Kris Boyd, who played for Traylor at Gilmer. Last week Boyd signed a letter of intent to play for the Longhorns on National Signing Day.
Notably, Boyd’s brother, Demarco, is verbally committed to play for Charlie Strong and the Longhorns. The younger Boyd is a linebacker prospect.
East Texas is home to some of the state’s best high school football talent. With Traylor on the Texas coaching staff and the Boyd brothers on the roster, UT looks poised to become a fixture in recruiting in that part of the state.