Joe Taylor amassed a 233-96-4 (.700) record in 29 seasons at Hampton, Florida A&M and Virginia Union, ranking him third all-time in wins among HBCU football coaches, behind John Merritt (Tennessee State) and Eddie Robinson (Grambling State). At Hampton, Taylor became the all-time winningest coach in school history, boasting a 136-48-1 (.735) record. He accounted for four Black College National Championships (1994, 1997, 2004, 2005) and won five MEAC titles with postseason appearances in the NCAA FCS playoffs (1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006). Before Hampton’s transition to Division I, he coached the Pirates to two NCAA Division II playoff appearances (1992, 1993), including their first playoff win over Albany State (33-7).
Taylor coached 12 future NFL players, including the likes of Kendall Langford, Justin Durant, Kevin Elliott and Brian Tyms. He won a share of the 2010 MEAC title at Florida A&M, guiding the Rattlers to a 37-29 mark in four seasons. At Virginia Union, Taylor won one CIAA Championship in 1986 and guided the Panthers to three NCAA Division II appearances, while compiling a 60-19-3 mark. He has been inducted into three collegiate hall of fames: Western Illinois, Virginia Union and the CIAA. Taylor currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Virginia Union University, and in 2019, he will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.