SAN MARCOS —— From San Jose to Austria, Buck Taylor has coached baseball all over the world. He seems to have found a home doing it here.

After five years as the top assistant at Palomar College, Taylor will take over next season as head coach for Bob Vetter, who is retiring after running the Comets for 24 years.

This will be the first college head coaching job for Taylor, who played on Carlsbad High's 1989 CIF championship team and later for John Seeley at MiraCosta College.

"Everyone feels a little pressure taking over a program," the 34-year-old Taylor said. "But there is a good and bad pressure. I could be taking over a bad program with no expectations to win. But I'm taking over a very successful program from a man who has taught me an awful lot.

"We'll be expected to win, but that's OK because we have great kids already in the program and great high school players in North County."

Taylor started coaching at San Francisco State, his college alma mater. He took over the Vienna Lions in 1995, guided a Ladies Professional Baseball team in San Jose in 1997, and was back at San Francisco State before landing at Palomar College as an assistant in 2001.

Taylor, a catcher and middle infielder in his playing days, said he believes pitching and defense win games in college.

"And the offense takes care of itself," Taylor said. "I see myself as a teacher, a guy who communicates well with kids. This is a great job and a successful program. I want to carry on the tradition."

Taylor will work at Palomar as a 60 percent adjunct facility member while coaching.

"I feel comfortable retiring because I feel I'm turning the program over to someone who is ready to take it over," Vetter said. "Buck's young and enthusiastic and has established a good reputation in the community."

Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.