Tim Taylor, a decorated assistant coach from the Atlantic Coast Conference, was announced on Tuesday as the new head coach of the Navy women’s basketball program by Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.
Most recently an assistant on staff at the University of North Carolina during the 2019-20 campaign, Taylor has honed his craft with 12 seasons of great Division I success and experience, with the majority coming at the University of Virginia. After breaking into the collegiate coaching arena with a two-year stint on staff at Furman University which culminated with a 2000 Southern Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Taylor began his work in the ACC at Virginia. From his initial postseason trip with Furman, Taylor played significant roles on Cavalier teams that competed in six more NCAA Tournaments, in addition to WNIT berths in 2011 and 2017.
“Support within the basketball community for Coach Taylor’s candidacy to lead our women’s program was as positive and enthusiastic as I can recall on behalf of any applicant for a position within the NAAA,” said Gladchuk. “He has established an extraordinary reputation as a highly accomplished professional in every aspect of coaching and education. All steps in his career reflect motivational leadership, building trusted relationships, the highest levels of integrity, and a well-established road map to success. His influence on players, parents, alumni, friends, and his students has been all encompassing and speaks to a very respected and inspirational story. Tim is a perfect fit to lead our women and our program into the future. He will be a terrific addition to our highly accomplished coaching staff at Navy. We are thrilled to welcome our new Head Coach and his family to Annapolis.”
“I am thankful and humbled to be presented this opportunity by Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk,” remarked Taylor. “I am immensely excited to be a part of the Naval Academy and be entrusted with leading the women’s basketball program. The Naval Academy is one of the most prestigious institutions in the country and a place that embodies honor and excellence. It will be a privilege to lead the young women in our program on and off the court and to lay a foundation for future success.
“I have been blessed to work for some tremendous people and mentors throughout my career. First and foremost, I want to thank God and my, wife Tonya as well as my family for always being there to support me. I am grateful to Sherry Carter, Debbie Ryan, Joanne Boyle and Courtney Banghart for their support and guidance through the years as well as Craig Littlepage, Carla Williams, Bubba Cunningham and Tony Bennett for their mentorship. Each of these people have impacted my journey and beliefs in immeasurable ways.”
Starting as an assistant coach at Furman for the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons, Taylor served as recruiting coordinator for the Paladins and was honored for bringing in a pair of top-40 classes. He quickly turned that success into a spot on the bench prior to the 2000-01 season at Virginia with the legendary Debbie Ryan, a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. His Cavalier teams continued winning with three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and four trips in five years. As an assistant at Virginia he was in charge of recruiting, scheduling, budgeting and player development.
After five years away from the collegiate game, Taylor returned to Virginia prior to the 2009-10 campaign, as an associate head coach for the Cavaliers. That season, Virginia won 21 games and earned a fifth seed in the Dayton Region of the NCAA Tournament. As an associate head coach, Taylor was recognized as one of the top assistants in the country by attending the prestigious Nike Villa 7 program. As a recruiting coordinator he signed multiple top-15 recruiting classes, including the ACC Player of the Year and Virginia’s all-time leading scorer, Monica Wright.
“The Naval Academy hit this one out of the park with the selection of Tim Taylor to lead their women’s basketball program,” said Ryan. “Tim is an exceptional coach who excels as a tactician, fundamental teacher of the game and develops players well beyond what seems possible for each individual. Tim, more importantly, is an outstanding human being who will develop the women to be great teammates, servant leaders and people who will represent the mission of the Naval Academy on its highest level. Tim has a passion for people and he understands the culture of a successful team. He will mold his young women into a cohesive, united group who can overcome any obstacle through work hard and sacrifice to achieve the teams goals. The Academy could not have found a better person for the job and the women’s basketball program will be very grateful for his selection.”
Following a WNIT bid by Virginia in 2011, Taylor moved off the sidelines and into administration as the principal of William Wetsel Middle School in Madison, Virginia from 2012 to 2016. As principal, he oversaw the development of a school-wide remediation program that increased test scores across all subjects by at least 20 percent and over 60 percent in math over his four years.
Taylor came back to Charlottesville and re-joined head coach Joanne Boyle’s staff prior to the 2016-17 season. In his two years with the Cavaliers, the program reached a pair of postseason events, the 2017 WNIT and the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Following Boyle’s retirement from UVA, Taylor stayed in Virginia and continued working with the Team Loaded basketball program. In total, he had a role with AAU program from 2015 to 2019.
“Tim is a high energy, passionate and caring individual that absolutely loves the game of basketball,” remarked Boyle. “In my twenty-five years of coaching he stands out as one of the best teachers and mentors of the game. He will pour his heart and soul into his players, staff, and every aspect of the program and will represent the Naval Academy with the utmost valor, pride and integrity.
“Tim was an integral part of our success at Virginia my last two seasons. He brought an infectious and upbeat energy that was consistent every day. He will build a strong foundation for Navy Women’s Basketball and create unity and trust amongst everyone involved. Tim will be a lifelong teacher/mentor for all of the young women who choose to be a part of such a wonderful program.”
Taylor continued testing himself in the ACC as he joined Courtney Banghart’s staff at the University of North Carolina. While with the Tar Heels, Taylor helped a trio of his athletes earn All-ACC accolades this past season as both Janelle Bailey and Taylor Koenen garnered All-ACC nods with Malu Tshitenge being named to the All-ACC Freshman Team. On the recruiting trail, UNC’s freshmen class was ranked 11th in the nation.
“As a program, we celebrate Tim as he takes on this new chapter in his life,” said Banghart. “Tim has served for a long tenure in the sport of women’s basketball and has waited patiently for a chance to take over his own program. He cares most about building meaningful relationships while making an impact and leaving a legacy in those lives that he touches. He is enormously proud to be able to represent one of the more special institutions in our country.”
In addition to coaching in the collegiate and AAU ranks, Taylor has found success at the high school level as he helped lead the Orange County High School men’s team to a 40-12 record over the 2006 and 2007 seasons and the program’s first-ever berth in the Virginia State Tournament. After a stint with Orange County he took over a Madison County team for the 2008 and 2009 seasons and went 43-11, including 28 straight wins at one juncture. His Madison County club reached the 2009 Virginia State Final Four. Taylor’s first high school basketball head coaching position was from 1995 to 1998 when he led Woodbridge High School’s girl’s program to a 51-21 record and three straight district championships. Overall, his high school coaching record was 134-44.
“Tim has a great mind for the game and his ability to recruit and develop student-athletes will make him a terrific head coach,” remarked Tony Bennett, the 2019 NCAA Division I Championship-winning head coach of the men’s basketball team at Virginia. “I believe Tim will be an excellent ambassador for the Naval Academy because he is a man of character with high standards and values. He has helped build great women’s basketball programs his entire career. If I had a daughter who played basketball, Tim Taylor would definitely be someone I’d want her to play for.”
Taylor is a 1989 graduate of James Madison University with a degree in political science. He later earned his master’s degree in educational administration in 2012. He and his wife Tonya are the proud parents of three children, a daughter Jordan (21) and sons Dalton (19) and Jackson (16).
https://navysports.com/news/2020/4/28/tim-taylor-named-navy-head-womens-basketball-coach.aspx
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