Centennial High School legend: Taylor named Peoria Independent Hometown Hero for lifetime achievement
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Centennial High School Coach Richard Taylor has been named a Hometown Hero for lifetime achievement. This is a picture from the state Open Division final against Liberty Dec. 2 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.
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How to Nominate
Know somebody in Peoria who should be recognized as a Hometown Hero? Here is how to do it.
Email: Send your nomination to aznews@iniusa.org, or fill out this nomination form yourvalley.net/hh-nomination/index.html.
After that: the nomination will be reviewed, and monthly winners will be selected based on their community contributions. Nominations should include name, email address and phone number along with the category of nomination, some details about the person being nominated and what accomplishments they have done.
When it comes to competition on the football field, Coach Richard Taylor’s record at Centennial High School speaks for itself — 11 championship game appearances with seven of those wins. That is about one championship every five years, which moves Taylor into an elite class. Then, when you consider that Centennial opened in 1990 and no other person has led the Coyotes in the school’s existence, the word legend becomes much more accessible.
But that’s only part of the story. Centennial Principal Scott Hollabaugh said Taylor also has a stellar record off the field making students feel valued and helping kids grow into productive adults, not to mention a record of helping the community that involves his student athletes as volunteers.
As a teacher of American history, Hollabough said Taylor is fun and engaging, drawing deep interest from his students.
He said Taylor is kind and humble, and as a result, people want to be around him.
Taylor is one of the most impactful leaders in the district’s history, Hollabough said.
“That is the business he is about — helping kids grow as people,” Hollabough said. “It’s not just about wins or losses. Coach Taylor brings value to our campus in every imaginable way and is representative of the very best in public education.”
Students, teachers and administrators say Taylor has left his mark on multiple generations and is a PUSD superstar whose effects on the district will remain long after he is gone.
So he is an obvious choice for the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Peoria Independent Hometown Hero award.
The Hometown Hero Awards are a celebration of individuals who live or teach in the city, and Peoria businesses for their achievements and distinguished contributions to the community and beyond.
Taylor will be honored at an awards luncheon next year.
The third annual Hometown Heroes luncheon will honor those nominated in 2024.
Peoria Unified governing board clerk David Sandoval said Taylor exudes what it means to live a purposeful life centered around growing and developing students, whose impact on PUSD youth both inside the classroom and on the field is unparalleled and never ending. Taylor is known as a person who truly loves what he does and continues to make a difference in the Peoria community, Sandoval said.
“A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities, and Taylor is a hero in the eyes of many, including mine,” he said. “It is said that our students are one caring adult away from being a success story.
Coach Taylor is that caring adult who leads with compassion and empathy and nurtures the creativity of his students and student-athletes, while inspiring hope and confidence in them, giving them the courage to overcome the challenges that life brings as they follow their path towards a life of fulfillment and purpose.”
Taylor began his football coaching career in Ohio in 1972, moved to Phoenix in 1986 and began coaching for the Coyotes in 1990, where he has held the position ever since.
He was inducted into the Arizona High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2023.
As a coach at Deer Valley High School, Adam Larsen has had his day on the field against Taylor, with one win and one loss. Larsen was the athletic director at Centennial and is now the facilities director in for the district. Even with the 50-50 average, Larsen says he’s happy he’s on Taylors team.
He said Taylor is a genuine person and truly cares about the people he works with.
On the field, Taylor’s kids are great athletes, always well coached with top sportsmanship, and if an athlete of his wants to go to college, Taylor will do everything he can to make it happen, Larsen said.
“The first thing I think of when I think of Coach Taylor is that he is kind. When he has lunch duty in the cafeteria, he is talking to all the kids, and you can tell he cares about them as people. He is very humble and comes from humble roots,” Larsen said. “Coach Taylor is always making sure that students are celebrated.”
Lifetime achievement means having an effect across generations.
Former PUSD President Monica Ceja Martinez remembers Taylor holding her hand when she was 6 years old and guiding her from base to base during T-ball games as her mother yelled at her from the benches to pay attention. Years later, Ceja Martinez, a class of 2000 Centennial graduate, has become the mom cheering her child on from the stands, only this time Taylor is coaching her son on the football field and teaching him history in the classroom.
“It was heartwarming to see the same coach who once guided me with such patience and care now nurturing my son’s love for learning and sports,” she said. “Coach Taylor has a gift for connecting with his students, making them feel valued and heard. His approach in the classroom mirrored his coaching philosophy — teach with compassion, listen intently and inspire through kindness.”
Today the cycle continues as the two of them recently took part in an event facilitated by Taylor providing food to those in need. Ceja Martinez said Taylor has helped shape her family’s love for serving others, sports and reinforcing the values of kindness, patience, and attentive listening.
“Looking back, I see how the seeds of community and dedication planted in my childhood have blossomed into a lifelong passion for serving others and fostering growth. It’s a journey that started with a tall coach holding my hand, guiding me through the bases, and has now come full circle as I watch him inspire my children,” she said.
“Through every game, every lesson, and every heartfelt conversation, Coach Taylor has been a beacon of positivity and resilience. His enduring impact reminds me of the power of mentorship and the lasting influence one person can have across generations. It’s a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the simplest acts of kindness can leave the most profound imprints on our lives.”
Philip Haldiman is a third generation Arizona native with brief residencies on the east and west coasts.
He has bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Journalism at Arizona State University, and is an award winning journalist with more than 15 years worth of experience in reporting and editing.
Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best sustained coverage or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association awards.
In his free time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
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