EOU names Solo Taylor permanent head coach of Mountaineer football

LA GRANDE — Mountaineer fans will see a familiar face leading Eastern Oregon University’s football team from the sidelines this year. Eastern Oregon University announced March 3, 2026, that Solo Taylor has been named the Mountaineers’ head football coach, Athletic Director Anji Weissenfluh said.

Anji Weissenfluh, Eastern Oregon University athletic director, said: “This is an exciting moment for Mountaineer football as Coach Taylor steps into the role of a head coach.” Weissenfluh added, “His passion and vision for Eastern Oregon football’s future was clear throughout his interview process.”

Taylor has deep ties to the program and region. He returned to the program in 2022 as the linebackers and special teams coach before his promotion in March 2024 to defensive coordinator. Taylor also served as the program’s recruiting coordinator and had been serving as the program’s interim head coach since the departure of longtime coach Tim Camp near the end of 2025.

An EOU graduate, Taylor got his bachelor’s degree before going on to earn his master’s degree in business administration. As a player, Taylor was described as a top linebacker during his playing career, earning a Cliff Harris Award nomination, three-time First Team All-Frontier Conference selection honors and serving as a three-year team captain.

Taylor issued a brief statement thanking the university and supporters. Taylor said, “I am honored to accept the head coaching position with Eastern Oregon Football. I want to sincerely thank Eastern Oregon University, Anji Weissenfluh and the search committee for the opportunity to lead this program.” Taylor also said, “I am also incredibly grateful for my wife, whose unwavering support has been with me every step of the way throughout my career.”

Mountie fans will be familiar with Taylor from his time on and off the field, and the athletic department framed the hire as continuity after Camp’s late-2025 departure. The university announcement did not include contract length, salary or other terms of employment, and no reasons for Tim Camp’s departure were provided in the statement. Taylor’s promotion makes a longtime program insider the face of EOU football as the Mountaineers look toward the next season, with specifics about staff changes and the effective date of his full-time appointment still to be disclosed by the athletic department.