Colorado Mesa University Athletic Director Butch Miller announced Taylor Wagner as the next head women’s basketball coach to guide the CMU program. Wagner was the head women’s coach at Otero Junior College the past eight years. Wagner becomes the 11th head coach in the programs history.
Wagner spent eight seasons at Otero Junior College in La Junta, CO where he posted a 187-63 overall record. He is Otero’s career win leader and is coming off the best overall record for a season going 33-3 in 2012. During his tenure the team posted an 88-12 home record.
The Lady Rattlers were crowned Region IX Champions in 2012, advancing to the National Tournament and finishing eighth. Coach Wagner was named National District Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 season.
Coach Wagner was named Region IX Coach of the Year in 2011 and is a three-time South Sub-Region Coach of the Year in 2006, 2011 and 2012. He guided Otero Junior College to the Region IX title game three consecutive seasons, winning the title in 2012 and in 2004 as an assistant coach the Lady Rattlers finished second. In 2006 he was at the helm of the first-ever Otero athletic team to host a regional tournament.
Otero Junior College women’s basketball program has maintained a team grade point average of 3.0 in 14 of 16 semesters and ranked in the Top 25 nationally seven of the last eight years. The Lady Rattlers had seven Distinguished Academic All-American honorees, nine Academic All-American’s and 52 Academic All-Region student athletes during Wagner’s tenure.
Wagner has coached 10 all-region players, one All-American and has had over 37 players move on to play at four-year institutions.
Prior to being named head coach at Otero Junior College he spent one season as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs during the 2003-2004 season. His duties included on and off campus recruiting, conditioning, guard development, scouting reports, coaching games and practices when the head coach was with other team. The men posted a 27-4 record, while the women finished 25-6 and advanced to the Region IX championship game.
Coach Wagner began his coaching career at University of Alaska Anchorage as the men’s assistant coach for two years following his playing career with the Seawolves. He oversaw student-athlete recruiting, individual skill development and film exchange.
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