His mentor is a former NFL Pro Bowler. Now he’ll lead Columbia High football
Zech Taylor earned his first assistant coaching job at Mount Rainier High School outside of Seattle under former NFL Pro Bowler Tremain Mack in 2018.
Taylor soaked up every bit of information he could under Mack, and now he’s sharing those same lessons at Columbia High School in Nampa.
After serving as the interim varsity football coach for the Wildcats during the 2025 season while former head coach Charlie Dotson was on medical leave, Taylor was recently promoted to head coach.
“(Mack) cared about the kids so much that he never compromised on accountability,” Taylor said. “He taught me how important that is. When you’re a new coach, you want people to like you … but it’s so important to maintain that standard of accountability.
“We really tried to focus on that this year, and we saw how much the players responded to that, because that accountability builds trust, it builds teamwork and builds execution.”
Under Taylor’s guidance, the Wildcats finished the 2025 season 6-4 overall, earning just the third state playoff berth in program history. Twenty-one players landed on the 5A Southern Idaho Conference’s all-conference team, and two players were voted to the 5A All-Idaho team, including running back Jackson Cheslak, who led the 5A classification with 1,408 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.
The 39-year-old Taylor believes the Wildcats can build on that momentum in 2026.
“Since I’ve been at Columbia, I really just love being a part of this community. I’ve loved working with the kids that I’ve had the opportunity to coach and serve in this capacity,” Taylor said. “I really wanted to continue that, and wanted to provide them the continuity necessary to continue to grow and elevate our program and help them develop to be champions on and off the field.
“… I think this program is on the upward trajectory and has great potential for future growth.”
Taylor joined the Wildcats’ program in 2023, serving as the defensive coordinator. He grew up in the Seattle area and played on the offensive line at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. He will also be the Wildcats’ head track coach.
“I really wanted to work with kids and train the next generation,” Taylor said. “I know how football transformed my life. I know what an impact it had on me and how much it taught me, and I want to help pass that on to the next generation.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM.
