Boys soccer: St. Viator's Taylor, 40 years in, still having fun
Back in 1979 McDonald's introduced its Happy Meal, ESPN would make its debut, the price of gas was still under a dollar a gallon, and Mike Taylor took charge of the soccer program at Glenbard South.
Taylor would then move over to Fenton two years later, then it was on to St. Viator.
The rest is history.
Taylor is a dinosaur of sorts as soccer coaches go as he begins his 40th year on the sideline, drawing ever closer to Hinkley-Big Rock legend Larry Peppers and his 571 career victories.
"I figured to stay (at St. Viator) maybe five years," admits Taylor, just a few days away from the start of his 33rd season at St. Viator.
The Zimbabwe (South Africa) native begins the 2019 campaign with 555 career victories overall, 491 at St. Viator.
Taylor has built some memorable teams and several other terrific ones during his time, winning nine state trophies, including two state titles.
"We had two great players at Glenbard South (Brian and Mark Henn), both all-staters, to help me get started coaching, and when I moved to Fenton, they had not won a game in two years," Taylor said. "We went 1-13-2 that first year, but I can honestly say it was my best year of coaching."
"Back then we were in the North Suburban Conference, and we got torched by Libertyville (14-0) but the next time we met them, we lost 1-0 to a goal in the last five minutes."
In his fifth and final season at Fenton (1987) Taylor and the star brother duo of Karsten and Markus Roy lost in their state qualifying match in kicks.
"There's been so many great wins, and at the same time heartbreaking losses, but that's the game of soccer," Taylor said. "(And) along the way, wow, the players I've had the pleasure of coaching, just too many to list.
"Rory Dames, Nico Tricoci, Brendan Doherty, the Storino and Cavers brothers, Ryan Wilke, Jonathan Harris, Trevor Wheeler, TJ King, Steve Zalewski, Stevie Chromik, Spencer Moore, Tim Grodek, Konrad Karasek, and of course, Nino DaSilva, Jarrett Payton and Jonathan Spector."
Spector, would play one season at St. Viator, before going to England to play for Charlton, West Ham, then Birmingham City, before finishing his career in the MSL with Orlando City.
DaSilva and Payton, the son of Chicago Bears great Walter Payton, formed perhaps the most dynamic and exciting scoring duo of all-time when they combined for 82 goals in 1996 to lead the Lions to a third-place finish at the state tournament.
To highlight the scale of his success, Taylor has claimed four third-place trophies, and two fourth places to go along with the 2003 and 2009 championship seasons and 14 ESCC titles.
"I'm a disciplinarian, and I'll get my point across in loud fashion, but the kids know I love them like they're my own, and it's because of that that I've stayed close to many of them long after they moved on from here," Taylor said.
Mike Andrews, who starred under Taylor in the mid-90s and now is coach at Prospect, could not agree more.
"I always respected how coach Taylor holds his players to the highest standard - everything from fitness, to behavior, to tactics. You have to be at your best to play for him," said Andrews, who now has St. Viator on his schedule. "He loves the game and he's coached for decades now, yet I guarantee he's never forgotten a single player."
Taylor, who took over the girls program in 2010 and promptly brought home a third-place state trophy, has continued his close relationships with his players during the offseason as well. He, along with several of his assistants, have made several trips overseas with his players to sightsee, play in soccer tournaments, and in 2010, take in the Men's World Cup in South Africa.
"Those 1996, 2003 and 2009 teams were maybe my best ever, but these trips we've been going on, with players from both our boys and girls teams, rank right up there as well," Taylor said. "In those early years, there were guys like John Erfort (Buffalo Grove, 316 career wins) and Gerry (Gerardo Pagnani) at Fremd (314) and so many others, but now there's just a few old-timers like myself still around, but I've always said when it's no longer fun then I am gone."