Bellefonte assistant wrestling coach named PWCA’s Class 3A Assistant Coach of the Year
For 52 years, the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association has been honoring the state’s top wrestling coaches.
Centre County has had two head coaches earn the recognition — Bald Eagle Area legend Dick Rhoades and Bald Eagle Nittany coach Biff Walizer.
Bellefonte assistant coach Richard Taylor’s name has now been added among those ranks, as he was recently named the PWCA’s Class 3A Assistant Coach of the Year.
“Obviously, it’s a good feeling. It’s nice to be recognized,” Taylor told the Centre Daily Times. “I would give most of the credit to Coach (Mike) Maney. He drives that ship. I just get to come in and do the fun part of being a wrestling coach, which is coach wrestling, hang out with the kids and motivate some people.”
Taylor is the first Centre County coach to be honored since Rhoades, who was named the Class 3A coach of the year in 1997 and 1999. Walizer was the first Centre County coach to be recognized when he earned the Class 2A honor in 1991 and 1993.
“Coach Rhoades is a legend in Pennsylvania wrestling,” Taylor said. “There are all kinds of legends on that list that I’m sure are in the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.”
Taylor was one of three District 6 coaches to be honored by the PWCA this season. Forest Hills’ coach Jake Strayer was named the Class 2A Coach of the Year. United’s coach Mike Sees was named the Class 2A Junior High Coach of the Year.
The three coaches will be honored during the PWCA’s Hall of Fame Banquet in the fall.
Taylor wrestled under Rhoades at Bald Eagle Area.
He was 99-20 during his wrestling career, a three-time District 6 champion, a two-time regional champion and two-time PIAA qualifier.
He joked that to this day, it still stings that he came up just one win short of 100 for his career, but missing most of his sophomore season with three knee surgeries did not help, either.
Taylor went on to wrestle at West Virginia, where current Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones was one of his coaches.
“There have been a lot of coaches throughout (my career),” Taylor said. “I think the No. 1 takeaway I took away from Coach Rhoades was the idea of being mentally tough and being well conditioned. You can win a lot of matches, as he would say it, with intestinal fortitude. I think that is one thing that Coach Maney and I picked up from Coach Rhoades, and what we try to instill in the Bellefonte program.”
Taylor, a pharmaceutical sales rep, has been involved in coaching for 20-plus years. He was a junior high coach at BEA and has been with the Red Raiders program for the past five years.
When he isn’t in the wrestling room, Taylor works around on his farm in Yarnell with his wife of 21 years, Cindy. He also attends some of his seven kids’ sporting events, including wrestling, track, volleyball and basketball, and does some horseback riding, himself.
As for memories from the wrestling room, he said winning a district dual title title year is a “big one that will stick with me.” He also thinks about his first year at Bellefonte, being close to Brock Port and following him through his run to the state finals.
“We still talk,” Taylor said. “He and I were watching film for (senior Ethan) Rossman and (senior Ethan) Richner, doing some scouting. The group of kids that have been through the Bellefonte program in the five years since I’ve been there have been excellent.
“It’s a great group of kids. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of them. This group of seniors and all the kids that don’t get recognized like Max Barrier, Stephen Ivicic and Nate Smith. There is just a great group of hard-working kids that have bought in and will do just about anything for you.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
