Joel Taylor has his top coach in place for both his Mercer offense and defense, just days after Taylor was named head coach at Mercer on the heels of Mike Jacobs' departure to become head coach at Football Bowls Subdivision program Toledo.
As FootballScoop first reported Saturday, Austin Davis has followed Taylor the short distance from the University of West Georgia to the Mercer program, where Davis will again serve as Taylor's offensive coordinator.
Additionally, FootballScoop has learned that Tripp Weaver -- a notable coach with considerable experience -- is transitioning from his post as West Georgia's co-defensive coordinator into the defensive coordinator role for the Bears.
Starting his career at his alma mater, East Carolina, under then-head coach Skip Holtz, Weaver has coached at the FBS level for both the East Carolina Pirates and also previously served on the defensive staff of the James Madison Dukes, who this year punched the program's first-ever FBS College Football Playoffs bid.
Weaver helped lead a West Georgia defense that surrendered just 21.18 points per game -- a five-point per game decrease from the Wolves' 2024 stop-unit.
Prior to his work this past season at UWG, Weaver worked at United Athletic Conference rival Austin Peay. Working under fast-rising young head coach Jeff Faris, Weaver engineered a Govs defense that paced the UAC in tackles for losses when the unit amassed 72 stops behind the line of scrimmage and also ranked as No. 3 scoring defense in UAC.
Earlier in his career, the Asheville, North Carolina, native Weaver worked at Western Carolina, where he rose to the level of defensive coordinator. He also spent a trio of seasons on staff at The Citadel. There, he coached linebackers.
Taylor was hired in a return to Mercer, where he previously had served as defensive coordinator.
He won 12 games in his two seasons and Taylor's 2025 Wolves squad just missed a bid in the ongoing FCS Playoffs.