Tim Hayes
Christian Taylor’s career path as a high school baseball coach has led him back to the place where it all began.
It was officially announced on May 29 that the 36-year-old Taylor had been hired as the new leader of the program at Sullivan East, his alma mater.
“It just feels right,” Taylor said. “I’ve had opportunities to coach at several different places out of the area but at the end of the day Sullivan East is home.”
Taylor spent the previous two seasons at University High in Johnson City, going 56-21 with two TSSAA state tournament appearances. That included a Class A state runner-up finish in 2024.
“Coaching at UH was a great experience,” Taylor said. “My biggest takeaway was just getting to grow as a head coach and implementing my style of play.”
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While he had a successful tenure at University High, most of Taylor’s baseball life has been spent at Sullivan East.
He hit .356 with four home runs and 25 RBIs for the Patriots as a senior in 2007 and later spent a decade on the coaching staff at East.
“Christian Taylor the high school baseball player was pretty much a quiet kid that loved the game and went about his business practicing and playing,” said Mike Breuninger, Taylor’s coach at East and the man for whom he is taking over as the head coach. “When he first started coaching at East in 2013, he was the same type of person, quiet but went about his business as a coach.”
Breuninger has saw his successor blossom in his chosen profession.
“The thing that impressed me most was his eagerness to learn the game and how to go about coaching kids,” Breuninger said. “He became ‘all in.’ Everything he did, from coaching our kids at East to coaching kids during the summer was geared towards becoming a better coach because he knew he wanted to be a head coach someday.”
John McKamey (1969-1987), Bobby Dempsey (1988), Dave Rutherford (1989-2000), Jason Counts (2001-2002), Stacy Carter (2003-2004) and Breuninger (2005-2025) are the only other men to coach at East since the school opened in the fall of 1968.
“Officially being named as the head coach of Sullivan East has been very surreal and emotional,” Taylor said. “I grew up going to East games. I played here and eventually coached here for 10 years so I’m definitely very passionate about this program and know what it can be.”
East finished with a 12-19 record and finished in last place in the Upper Lakes Conference standings in 2025. The Patriots did win their opening game in the District 1-AAA tournament.
Taylor is tasked with turning those fortunes around.
“Since being hired, we have went straight to work,” Taylor said. “Focused on the objective of getting more physical from the weight room and skill development sessions to introduce correct movement patterns that we want offensively and on the mound.
“The message has been that we are going to hold ourselves to a high standard and work towards competing in the toughest 3A conference in Tennessee.”
Taylor is making himself at home.
“I am very proud of the job he has done, not only as an assistant at East, but as a head coach at UH as well,” Breuninger said. “I know that the baseball program at East will be in good hands.”
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