Queens University of Charlotte Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jen Brown has announced the addition of Vanessa Taylor to her staff as an assistant coach. Taylor joins the Royals after spending five years at Coastal Carolina University as the Chanticleers’ associate head women’s basketball coach.
“Vanessa’s experience speaks for itself,” Brown stated. “She has had longevity and success as both an assistant and head coach. She is a proven recruiter, scouter, and player developer. She possesses a unique passion and knowledge of the game. More importantly, she’s a phenomenal human being with an extraordinary work ethic. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her join our Royal Family”
Taylor, who has over 23 years of collegiate head coaching experience, joined the Chanticleers in May of 2017 as an assistant coach before being promoted to an associate head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. In her five seasons with Coastal Carolina women’s basketball, she helped build the program into a Sun Belt Conference contender leading the Chanticleers to a pair of historic seasons. The team reached post-season play in the Women’s Basketball Invitational for the first time in program history during the 2018-19 season and followed that up with a 2019-20 season that saw an overall record of 25-4 and a Sun Belt record 15-5. The 25 wins was a program record and marks the best season in program history. Coastal Carolina then had its best start to a season ever this past year, kicking off with an 8-0 start.
Notable players with the Chanticleers include Sun Belt Player of Year DJ Williams, Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Naheria Hamilton, and Aja Blount. Williams completed her career with 1,582 points, while Blount scored 1,441 points. Hamilton also scored over 1,000 points in her career.
“I am so thankful for the opportunity that Head Coach Jen Brown has extended for me to join her staff at Queens University of Charlotte,” Taylor commented. “When it comes to academics, teaching the game, and student-athlete experience, Coach Brown is doing an outstanding job. As Royals basketball embarks on this new journey in the ASUN Conference, I will work extremely hard to help our visionary Coach Brown elevate Queens’ program to an elite level. Thank you, Coach Brown, for bringing me back to the Queen City. I am excited to reconnect with the city and to get to work connecting with our student-athletes, the Queens community, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
Prior to joining Coastal Carolina’s staff, Taylor served as the head women’s basketball coach at North Carolina Central University from 2012 to 2017, at Johnson C. Smith from 2001 to 2012, and at Elizabeth City State University from 1994 to 2001. She accumulated 331 wins as a head coach with her 215-112 record with the Golden Bulls standing out the most.
In her 11 seasons at Johnson C Smith, Taylor won 20 or more games five times. The Golden Bulls also had five NCAA DII Women’s Basketball Championship appearances under Taylor (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012). During the 2010-11 season, Taylor led the program to a 26-5 overall record, the best in school history, and was voted the CIAA Coach of the Year. Taylor also captured the CIAA Tournament Championship in 2009 and the CIAA Western Division Championship in 2006.
Additionally, Taylor was voted the CIAA Coach of the Year while at ECSU in 1997-98 and again in 1999-2000 after leading the Lady Vikings to the CIAA East Division Championship with a 22-5 overall record.
