Taneyhill applies for Altoona job
Steve Taneyhill has won five state championships as a head coach in South Carolina, and now the former Altoona Area High School quarterback is hoping to take over the program at his alma mater.
“Any time there’s a possibility you could go to a school you played at and coach, the interest is always going to be there,” Taneyhill said by phone Monday night.
Taneyhill has submitted an official application for the Altoona job, which opened up two weeks ago when John Franco resigned. The school is accepting applications until March 18, and the Mirror has learned that Mountain Lion assistant coach Vince Nedimyer Jr. also has applied for the position.
“I’m excited about it,” Taneyhill said. “I haven’t been around Altoona football for 20-something years, but I did play there. That program being successful will always be important to me.
“I had two people call me and say they can’t win,” he added, “and when someone tells me you can’t do something, that makes me want to do it even more. I’ve heard there’s some good young kids that played a lot this year.”
Taneyhill, 42, was a football and basketball standout for Altoona more than 25 years ago, then went on to become starting quarterback at South Carolina. His mullet hairstyle and long locks that extended well below his helmet became recognizable throughout college football in the early 1990s.
He threw for more than 8,000 yards and 61 TDs in four seasons with the Gamecocks, and his 67.1 completion percentage his senior season ranked second in the nation. His father, Art, is a legendary coach who guided the Altoona girls basketball program to four PIAA state titles and two USA Today mythical national championships.
Taneyhill followed up his playing career by becoming a highly successful coach in South Carolina. He won three straight 1A state titles at Chesterfield High School from 2007-09, and he also captured two state championships in 8-man football at Cambridge Academy.
Taneyhill spent the past four seasons coaching at Union County High School, reaching the 3A state championship game in 2012. He compiled a 22-27 record, and his contract was not renewed after going 7-7 in 2015.
“I’m just at that point where I want to do something different, and if that means leaving the state of South Carolina, then I’m going to leave,” said Taneyhill, who also noted he applied for a job in Texas.
At this point in the application process, Taneyhill is simply hoping to get an interview at Altoona.
He does not have a teaching certificate, so moving back to this area would mean he would have to find a full-time job to go along with his coaching duties. He previously has filled roles such as assistant to the principal, assistant athletic director and head of the strength program.
“There’s 1,000 things I can do,” he said, “and if it was a situation where I need to get certified, I can do that.”
The Altoona school district’s official job posting indicates, “PA Teaching Certification preferred but not required.”
Taneyhill played for Franco during his career at Altoona, and Franco praised the possibility of his former quarterback becoming the program’s next coach.
“I think he would be tremendous,” Franco said before adding, “I’m really proud of him. He’s one of the guys I’ve had a lot of contact with over the years.
“I’m real excited to maybe see him have an opportunity to come back. He is an outstanding offensive coach, and he realizes the importance of defense.”
Franco said he thinks highly of Nedimyer, as well, and believes he also would be a good hire.
“He’s also an excellent choice,” Franco said. “So I think they’ve got a couple of good choices.”
Altoona athletic director Phil Riccio said Monday he had not yet seen any of the applications.
“They all go to HR (human resources). We’ll have (the job) posted until the 18th,” Riccio said.
“We’re looking forward to get into the process of hiring a coach. We’ll wait and see after the 18th.”
The issue of Altoona playing in the WPIAL, which Franco was outspoken about, would not be a problem for Taneyhill if he gets the job.
“I hear a lot of complaining about the WPIAL, and I’m the complete opposite,” Taneyhill said. “My team last year played the toughest schedule in South Carolina in any classification. If you want to be good, you’ve got to play the best competition.”
Mirror Sports Editor Buck Frank contributed to this story.