North Texas head coach Johnny Jones has dipped into the junior college ranks to find his next assistant coach.

Jones confirmed on Thursday night that he has hired Chuck Taylor, who spent last season as the head coach at Richland College. Taylor replaces Jai Steadman, who left the staff after just one season at UNT.

“Coach Taylor has recruited in this area and also has some East Coast ties,” Jones said. “He will do a tremendous job on the road recruiting and will also do a great job on campus in practice.”

The addition of Taylor completes the makeover of the Mean Green’s staff since the end of last season. Former UNT associate head coach Fred Rike left the Mean Green’s staff to become the head coach at Angelo State, a member of the Division II Lone Star Conference, following the 2005-06 campaign.

Former Paris Junior College head coach Bill Foy filled Rike’s spot.

Taylor worked under Foy at Paris and has also served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M-Corpsus Christi and South Alabama.

Taylor’s latest stop was among his most successful.

Richland (24-8) won its final six games of the regular season and advanced to the finals of the 2005-06 MAC Conference Tournament before falling to North Lake College.

Taylor will join a UNT staff looking to build on a 14-14 season that concluded with a loss to Arkansas-Little Rock in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.