Miles Taylor

Miles Taylor is in his first season as Nebraska’s safeties coach in 2024. He has familiarity with Husker defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, as the two were on the South Dakota defense staff together for two seasons.

Taylor has made a rapid rise up the coaching ranks less than a decade removed from his playing career. In his first eight seasons of coaching, Taylor has worked for two Big Ten teams (Nebraska and Iowa), two NFL franchises (Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens) and coached in six FCS playoff games.

Taylor brings Big Ten experience to the Husker defensive staff. As a player, he started 32 games at safety for Iowa from 2014 to 2017. Taylor also coached at Iowa for two seasons following his playing career. In his six total seasons as either a player or coach at Iowa, Taylor was a part of five teams that ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense, five that ranked in the top 25 in total defense and three that ranked in the top 10 in interceptions.

BEFORE NEBRASKA
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: Taylor spent the 2025 season as a coaching fellow with the Los Angeles Chargers. In his lone season, the Chargers were the only NFL team to finish with more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed. In 2025, Los Angeles ranked third in the NFL in interceptions and fewest touchdown passes allowed, fourth in passing yards allowed and fifth in opponent completion percentage. Safety Derwin James was a Pro Bowl selection as the Chargers qualified for the AFC playoffs.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Taylor spent five seasons coaching defensive backs at South Dakota from 2020 to 2024. Taylor coached with Rob Aurich in his first two seasons on the Coyote staff. In Taylor’s four seasons at South Dakota, the Coyotes advanced to the FCS playoffs three times and had a final top five ranking twice.

In 2024, South Dakota ranked 17th in the FCS in interceptions. The pass defense helped fuel an 11-3 record that culminated with an appearance in the FCS semifinals and a No. 4 final ranking. South Dakota made the quarterfinals of the 2023 FCS playoffs and finished with a No. 3 final ranking. The Coyotes ranked 18th in the FCS in pass defense in 2023.

Taylor also helped South Dakota make the FCS playoffs in 2021, when the Coyotes finished with a No. 18 ranking. Due to the pandemic, USD played only four games in Taylor’s first season in 2020.

Individually, Taylor coached five all-conference defensive backs in his final four seasons at South Dakota. Myles Harden led the FCS in passes defended per game in 2021, when Harden was a freshman All-American. Taylor helped both Harden and Elijiah Reed reach the NFL.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: Taylor spent the summer of 2019 as a defensive intern with the Baltimore Ravens. With the Ravens, Taylor worked primarily with the defensive backs and special teams and broke down preseason practices and scrimmages.

IOWA: Taylor began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa, his alma mater, for two seasons in 2018 and 2019. In his two seasons on staff, the Hawkeyes went 19-7 with a pair of bowl victories. In 2019, Iowa ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense, 12th in total defense and 19th in passing defense. The Hawkeyes ranked third nationally in interceptions, seventh in total defense, 11th in scoring defense and 17th in passing defense in 2018.

PLAYING CAREER
Taylor was a standout safety at Iowa from 2014 to 2017. He played in 50 games with 32 starts for the Hawkeyes, totaling 169 career tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, five pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery.

PERSONAL
Taylor earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Iowa in 2017 and his master’s degree in sport management from Iowa in 2020.

COACHING CAREER:
2026: Nebraska (Safeties)
2025: Los Angeles Chargers (Coaching Fellow)
2020-24: South Dakota (Defensive Backs)
2019: Baltimore Ravens (Defensive Intern)
2018-19: Iowa (Graduate Assistant)