Taylor Allen is finally where he really wanted to be for over the last decade at Caprock High.
After 11 years as an assistant baseball coach at Caprock, along with his duties as an assistant in football, Allen has finally gotten the call to lead the program. Allen has been named the school’s new baseball coach after Trevor Cordova left to soon be named the athletic director and head baseball coach at Tulia after nine seasons at his alma mater.
It’s been a case of paying his dues for Allen, but for him it’s been worth it.
“It’s always been a dream of mine,” Allen said. “This is the goal and the whole reason I got into high school baseball. I’m a baseball guy through and through. I played in college a long time ago and I played with the (Amarillo) Dillas when they were in town and Amarillo’s been my home ever since.”
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Allen is a graduate of Littlefield and played baseball at Wayland Baptist University. Before going to Caprock, he coached and taught at Sam Houston Middle School.
Caprock has had mixed success on the diamond during Allen’s time on campus, as the Longhorns were a playoff team two years ago. However, they had what might have been the most frustrating season in school history last year, as they went 1-27 and were 1-15 in a tough District 3-5A.
“The year before (last year) we were very senior-heavy and going into last season we had seven starting roles we had to fill along with our pitching staff,” Allen said. “We had a young roster but we’ve got a lot of those guys returning and we didn’t lose a whole lot. It was a very difficult season but there was a lot of time to grow up. Guys got a lot of valuable reps and hopefully they can grow from it this season.”
Allen is taking the glass-half-full approach to developing the team this next year. The Longhorns won’t be as inexperienced on the field in 2026 and the foundation is there, so Allen knows exactly what he’ll be working with in the spring.
“I feel very, very excited about next year with the guys that we have who are returning,” Allen said. “Some of the young talent we have on the subvarsities are starting to grow up and make huge strides. We’re going to be young still. I think the relationships I built already with these kids played a huge part in (being selected as the head coach).”
There’s even something of a legacy in Allen taking over the top spot in the dugout. He says he’s also coached several older brothers of the returning players.
Getting better, though, will be no guarantee of success in 3-5A. Perennial contenders Amarillo High and the Lubbock schools are part of a challenging nine-team gauntlet in a season which is far more marathon than sprint.
“I feel like it is a very tough district from top to bottom,” Allen said. “We’ve got to be prepared and I think these guys understand how tough it was, but the expectations to step up and win aren’t going to change.”
It’s a good six months before practice officially starts for the next baseball season, but Allen knows the Longhorns will have to hit the ground running in order to show measurable improvement. Having coached a good chunk of the team last year, he’s got on idea of who the team leaders will be.
“I’ve reached out to a couple of the seniors, and I feel good about next year already with the attendance we’ve had at our workouts,” Allen said. “They go in there at 6:30 in the morning. A lot of it’s put on (the seniors) and what they want out of this season. Player-led teams are the most successful teams you can have and we have guys in the locker room who know what to do.”