Tal Bayer

Talmage "Tal" Hugh-Ross Bayer (born October 23, 1970), is an American musician, educator, and retired rugby coach. He is best known for being a founding member of the Ska band The Pietasters, and the head coach of the Hyde/Perry Street Prep rugby team, the first all-black rugby team in the U.S.

Early life Bayer was born October 23, 1970, in Charleston, South Carolina. His father was a colonel in the Air Force, and the family moved around frequently. Bayer attended numerous colleges before graduating from Radford University with a degree in Human Resources management.

Musical career While in college at Radford, Bayer met fellow college students Stephen Jackson, Chris Watt, Ben Gauslin, and Tom Goodin, who attended nearby Virginia Tech. This group had their own punk band The Slugs, but after moving in with them Bayer convinced them to convert to a ska band instead, with him as the frontman/lead singer. He then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and ended up founding the Atlanta Punk band The Rent Boys while there.

Rugby Bayer began playing rugby in high school while in Alexandria, Virginia, for Weston RFC, and then proceeded to play in College for Radford University. Initially after graduating from college, Bayer worked in the finance industry in Atlanta, where he played for the Atlanta Renegades. He then moved to Washington DC to help with the opening of the Hyde charter school (where he continued to play Rugby with the Washington Rugby Football club). Bayer founded a school rugby team, which had its inaugural season in 2000. and scripts for a dramatic version of the team's story shopped around. Following this he then was head Rugby coach at New England College. Besides Bayer’s school-based rugby experiences, he has also been a coach of the U19 American national team, as well as numerous club and camp experiences.

Career in education Initially after graduating from college, Bayer worked in the finance industry in Atlanta, before moving to Washington DC to help with the opening of the Hyde charter school.

Currently he serves as the State Charter School Administrator in the New Hampshire Department of Education.