Skyline head football coach Mat Taylor is a finalist for the same position at Central Washington University, Spartans’ athletic director Ryan Gilbert confirmed to the Reporter Thursday morning.

The news was first reported by the Yakima Herald-Republic in a story detailing each of the Wildcats’ four candidates for the job.

“He means a lot to our athletic department and school as a whole,” Gilbert said. “He’s been great.”

Taylor has led the Spartans since taking over for Steve Gervais and captured state titles as a head coach in his first year in 2008, as well as 2009, 2011 and 2012.

The other finalists for the job, according to the Herald, include former University of Washington assistant Chris Tormey, who worked under Don James, and current Eastern Washington associate head coach and defensive coordinator John Graham.

Taylor is also a teacher at Skyline and has been coaching at the school for more than a decade as an assistant and head coach.

“It’s not just the knowledge of the game, not just the knowledge of kids, and he has all of that,” Gilbert said. “But what I don’t think anyone sees is the amount of organization he brings.”

Even if he is not selected as CWU’s next head coach, his status as a finalist suggests the Wildcats have a great interest and respect for the duties of high school coaching.

“I would be very excited for him personally and for the profession of high school coaching,” Gilbert said. “There is a lot of respect for high school coaches and what it means.”