From Student Assistant to Position Coach 

The phrase "Once a Bomber, always a Bomber" is more than a slogan stitched across a T-shirt. It represents a lifelong commitment to preparation, discipline and excellence — values that follow St. Xavier graduates long after they leave North Bend Road. 

Few embody that philosophy more than Will Taul '22. Long before he was preparing game plans for Saturday afternoons in the Ohio Athletic Conference, Taul was a familiar face on the St. Xavier sideline. As a student assistant, he quietly learned the game's finer details with little more than a notebook, a headset and an eagerness to absorb everything he could from one of Ohio's premier high school football programs. 

Today, that foundation has carried Taul to the collegiate ranks as the newly hired running backs coach at Baldwin Wallace University. At just 22 years old, he now leads his own position group, marking another milestone in a coaching journey that began by simply looking for a way to stay connected to football. 

For Taul, an injury that ended his playing career became the moment that launched his coaching career. 

"When I got hurt, I still wanted to be a part of football," Taul said. "I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, so I became a manager for two years. Then I wanted to do more for the program. I connected with Coach Specht, and he got me in touch with Coach Coverdale, the offensive coordinator. I didn't really know how much I wanted to coach until I started working with him." 

During his junior year, Taul immersed himself in the day-to-day operations of the offense, learning under then offensive coordinator Andrew Coverdale and helping wherever he was needed. By his senior season, his work ethic had earned him the role of assistant quarterbacks coach, where he helped relay play calls and assist with the operation of the offense on Friday nights. 

"My main job was signaling," Taul said. "Our offense was built on signaling. That was the only way we could communicate with the quarterback, so that was my main responsibility." 

After graduating from St. Xavier, Taul knew coaching was no longer just an interest — it had become his passion. 

With help from Head Coach Steve Specht, he explored opportunities at several colleges before ultimately finding the right fit at the University of Miami. 

"Coach Specht got me in contact with a bunch of local schools, and I visited Cincinnati, Kentucky and Miami," Taul said. "At Miami, I was able to be as involved as I wanted to be. As I became more involved, I realized this was what I wanted to do." 

At Miami, Taul spent three seasons working under current Colorado State tight ends coach Patrick Welsh while also learning from longtime head coach Chuck Martin. The experience exposed him to the inner workings of a Division I football program and accelerated his development as a young coach. 

Those early opportunities ultimately positioned him to accept perhaps the biggest challenge of his career, leading his own position room at Baldwin Wallace. 

"Continuing to build great relationships, learning different systems and putting myself in the right situations has helped me get to this point," Taul said. "I took this job because I get to run my own room and gain that experience at 22 years old. Taul said. "I get to check a box that a lot of coaches don't have this early. Right now it's all about experience. I'd rather learn from my mistakes now at 22 than making them at 26 coaching my own room at the Division I level." 

The position brings challenges beyond drawing up plays. In Division III football, recruiting is especially demanding, with no athletic scholarships available to attract players. Taul also faces another unique challenge: coaching players who are only a year or two younger than he is. 

Still, he embraces every aspect of the job. 

"I want to be someone who's always there and makes sure everything gets done because I want to be better at every job I have," Taul said. "I'm always going to be watching film or recruiting. Recruiting is something I really want to become good at," Taul said.  "It's not easy to recruit Division III football because it's non-scholarship and can be expensive. Right now I have 15 guys in my room, and building those relationships is going to take time. It'll also be the first time I've coached players who are younger than me. This is the first time I'm actually the adult in the room." 

For Taul, however, Division III offers something he values just as much as any championship pursuit. His players simply love football. 

"The only reason these kids are playing here is because they want to play football," Taul said. "They're not here because of a full scholarship or some other incentive," Taul said. "When you go to Division I, a guy might get a full ride because he was a great high school player, but that doesn't necessarily mean he loves football. Here, these guys love the game. That makes getting them to buy in easier. My job is figuring out what I can teach them and how I can help them become the best players they can be." 

For Taul, the destination has changed, but the foundation remains the same. The lessons he learned inside St. Xavier's football offices attention to detail, relentless preparation and a willingness to do whatever the team needs continue to shape every step of his coaching career. As he begins leading his own room at Baldwin Wallace, one thing remains certain: once a Bomber, always a Bomber.