UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor will make his way back to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this weekend, hoping that his Roadrunners can pull off an upset.
Traylor has been coaching for over 30 years, nearly 10 of which have been in college football. A native of Gilmer, Texas, Traylor spent 14 years as head coach of his hometown’s high school, Gilmer High School. It was in this position that Traylor won three state championships and 87% of his games. His storied career at Gilmer ranks him 10th all-time in winning percentage in Texas high school football history.
In 2015, Traylor moved on from high school football to join the collegiate ranks. He began his career in Austin with the Longhorns as a special teams coordinator and tight ends coach under head coach Charlie Strong. The following year he advanced within the Texas coaching staff to become associate head coach, as well as the offense and wide receiver coach.
Traylor would later move on to become an associate head coach and running back coach at SMU in 2017, and Arkansas after that before taking the reins as head coach at UTSA in 2019. It was with Arkansas that Traylor gained national attention, coaching a running back corps that put together more than 3,400 yards over two seasons.
Since joining UTSA, Traylor has compiled an overall record of 39–14. In 2023 his team finished 9–4 in its first season in the American Athletic Conference. It was also in 2023 that Traylor led the team to its first bowl game win in program history when they defeated Marshall in the Frisco Bowl, 35-17.
It was under Traylor that current Texas junior edge Trey Moore had a breakout season in 2023 and won Defensive Player of the Year for the American Athletic Conference. Following the 2023 season, Moore transferred just up the road to Austin and now plays linebacker and defensive.
This season, the Roadrunners are off to a 1–1 start, with Traylor leading his team to a 28-16 win over Kennesaw State and a 49-10 loss to Texas State. An offense-focused coach, Traylor and his team struggled to get anything going for the Roadrunners against Texas State. Despite producing over 300 yards of offense and a touchdown, the Roadrunners struggled to limit Texas State’s scoring and simultaneously bolster their own offense.
UTSA’s visit to DKR will be an interesting look at a team that has performed adequately during Traylor’s tenure. Though no one expects an upset, how Traylor handles his offense against a team that, last Saturday, held then-No.10 Michigan to just 12 points, will be an interesting sight. Traylor will also once again share a football field with Moore, this time on opposing sidelines. Currently the Longhorns are projected as 32.5 point favorites in Saturday’s matchup.
