Sources tell WOLF Sports Network UWG Head Football Coach Joel Taylor is on the move. Taylor has officially been hired as the new Head Coach for the Mercer Bears in Macon, Georgia.
Before becoming the head man at UWG, Taylor spent four years at Mercer, where he served as Defensive Coordinator under then head coach Drew Cronic. Taylor and Cronis both moved on from their jobs at Mercer after the 2023 season, leading to Mike Jacobs taking over as the lead man. During his two year tenure as their head coach, Jacobs led the Bears to back-to-back SoCon titles, two straight FCS playoff berths, and a total record of 20-6. That success led to him being named the new Head Coach at Toledo University in Ohio, in the morning hours of December 10th.
Similar to Jacobs, Joel Taylor also just wrapped his second year as the Head Coach for the Wolves. In his short tenure at West Georgia, Taylor has gone 12-10 overall, and was named United Athletic Conference (UAC) Coach of the Year and AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year for the 2025 season, after leading the wolves to an impressive 8-3 record in just his second year.
Losing Taylor makes things very interesting for the UWG Football program. Giving them limited time to figure out who Taylor’s replacement will be. Just a week ago on December 4th, Taylor announced the names of 20 new signees that will be joining the Wolves’ football team for the 2026 season.
The future of UWG football is now uncertain with their leader gone; it can be assumed many staff members will follow Taylor to Mercer. Tasking the UWG athletic department with the decision of figuring out who the next lead man will be.
