When third-year Northwestern State baseball coach Chris Bertrand had to make an unexpected change to his coaching staff for the 2026 season, he knew where to look.
Bertrand announced the addition of former Demon infielder Sam Taylor to the Northwestern staff. Taylor takes over for assistant coach Billy Henley, who has accepted a scouting position with the Washington Nationals organization.
The hire is subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, which governs Northwestern State University.
“As a program, we are beyond thrilled to bring Sam Taylor back to Natchitoches,” Bertrand said. "In addition to being a Demon alumnus who knows the feeling of bringing a championship to Natchitoches, Sam is a terrific young coach whose tutelage and experience will benefit our program as a whole. I am excited to bring Sam into the fold and see how he impacts our players and the rest of our program.”
Taylor, a two-year Demon letterman, returns to Natchitoches after spending the fall as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi.
Taylor’s sojourn to his home state came after spending two seasons as the director of player development at Southeastern Louisiana where he helped lead the Lions to the 2025 Southland Conference regular-season championship.
During his two years in Hammond, Taylor helped the Lions establish the school single-season home run record (86) during the 2024 season. The Lions equaled that mark in Taylor’s second season.
In those two seasons, Taylor was part of a staff that produced 11 all-conference performers.
Taylor began his post-playing career as a scout with the Cleveland Guardians organization.
During his two-year Northwestern career, Taylor helped the Demons capture the first Southland Conference Tournament championship in program history as Northwestern took home the 2018 crown.
An honorable mention All-Southland Conference selection in 2019, Taylor led Northwestern in batting average (.311) while ranking second in hits (64) and stolen bases (12). That season came after Taylor enjoyed a stellar performance in the 2018 Corvallis Regional.
Taylor homered against eventual national champion Oregon State and LSU during the Demons’ three-game regional appearance.
Taylor his wife, Tori, also a Northwestern State alumna, were married in June 2025.
