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Gill Finishes Putting Staff Together

Turner Gill

Juan Taylor will coach the Bulls’ wide receivers, while R. Todd Littlejohn will coach UB’s outside linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator.

Taylor comes to Buffalo from Kentucky State University where he served as tight ends and offensive tackles coach for the 2004 season and as the running backs coach during the 2003 season. He also served as the wide receivers coach at Kentucky State from 1995-99, while also serving as the school¹s Residence Life Director. Between his stints at Kentucky State, Taylor operated his own business for five years.

While at Kentucky State, Taylor coached four first-team All-Conference selections, six second-team choices, and helped the Thorobreds win the Pioneer Bowl in 1997.

Taylor was an outstanding wide receiver at Division II Kentucky State, earning First Team Black College All American and team MVP honors in 1992. He led his team in yards receiving, total receptions and scoring from 1990-92. He would later play and serve as a coach on the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League under former Buffalo Bills coach Lou Saban.

A native of Canton, OH – and no stranger to recruiting in Mid-American Conference territories – Taylor was inducted into the Canton-McKinley Senior High School Athletic Hall of Fame this past summer.

“Juan is a very enthusiastic coach who is very detailed in teaching routes,” said Buffalo head coach Turner Gill. “He is phenomenal in the coaching of receivers.”

Littlejohn, meanwhile, brings coaching experience at Syracuse and UCLA, among others, to Buffalo as UB’s outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. He replaces Antonio Goss, who took an assistant coaching position at Middle Tennessee State.

Littlejohn coached Syracuse’s defensive backs for the 2003-04 seasons under coach Paul Pasqualoni. There he helped safety Diamond Ferri, currently with the Atlanta Falcons, earn All-BIG EAST honors. Prior to joining the SU staff, he spent two seasons at UCLA (2001-02) coaching the Bruins’ defensive backs and special teams.

While on the staff at UCLA, Littlejohn tutored Ricky Manning, a three-time All-PAC 10 selection, who now plays with the Carolina Panthers. The Bruins led the conference in total defense and pass efficiency defense, and ranked second in scoring defense, in Littlejohn’s first season. UCLA was 8-5 and won the Las Vegas Bowl in 2002.

“Todd is an outstanding coach who has gotten his players to reach their potential, that’s what I love about him the most,” said Gill. “Also, he has a passion for the game of football.”

Littlejohn coached wide receivers and special teams for two seasons at Utah State (1998-99). He was appointed assistant coach in charge of defensive backs and special teams at San Jose State in 2000. The Spartans led the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with 15 interceptions and the secondary ranked fourth in the WAC in pass efficiency that season.

The following season Littlejohn was defensive coordinator and director of player personnel with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League before moving on to UCLA.

He was a two-time letterwinner and a 1987 honorable mention All-American at defensive back for West Texas State. He earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors both years. He transferred to Fresno State where he played baseball and was a member of the Bulldogs' team that advanced to the 1988 College World Series. Littlejohn earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Fresno State in 1989.