April 18, 2007

Chicago State University Department of Athletics officially introduced Benjy Taylor (Jacksonville, N.C.) today as the new head coach of men’s basketball. The half-hour press conference took place in the media room of the Emil & Patricia Jones Convocation Center, the new on campus home of the Chicago State University Cougars. Taylor, who most recently was an assistant coach at Tulane University for the past two seasons, becomes the 10th head coach in the 41-year history of Cougars men’s basketball.

“Coach Benjy Taylor brings multiple years of experience to Chicago State, having worked at institutions with solid basketball programs,” said Chicago State University Athletics Director Wayne Baskerville who introduced Taylor at the press conference. “The plan for the future, starting today, is to build an athletic department and program that best represents Chicago State University.”

“This is a tremendous day for Chicago State University, myself and my family,” said coach Taylor. “I am looking forward to moving the program in the right direction. It will take a lot of hard work and determination.”

“It’s all a matter of timing. I believe this is the right time to strike a match and get this thing going. I want to win right away, not three years down the road.”

This past year, Taylor helped the Green Wave compile a 17-13 overall record, including a top division finish (fourth) and a berth in the Conference-USA tournament semifinals after defeating Tulsa, this only one full season removed from the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  During his only other season at Tulane, he helped guide the Green Wave to a 12-17 overall record, a sixth-place finish in league play and a quarterfinal victory over Marshall in the opening round of the 2006 Conference USA tourney.

Taylor served as the head coach/assistant director of Athletics at North Central College (Division III) in west suburban Naperville, Ill., for three seasons (2001-2004). In addition, Taylor was associate head coach at Northern Illinois University from 1995-2000, helping the Huskies reach the NCAA Tournament in 1996, the result of a 20-10 season.

In between Tulane and North Central, Taylor was an assistant coach at Indiana State University during the 2004-2005 season. He also served as an assistant coach at Pepperdine University during the 2000-2001 campaign, Cornell for one year during the 1991-1992 season and The Citadel for three years from 1992-1995 as an assistant coach.

As a player, Taylor was a four-year letter-winner with the University of Richmond (1985-89). His teams registered an 85-38 (.691) record during his career with two NCAA Tournament appearances (1986, 1988) and one bid to the NIT (1989). The 1988 Spider team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, dispatching Indiana and Georgia Tech in the NCAA Tournament. After earning his bachelor's degree with a double major in criminal justice and sociology, he remained with the Spiders as a graduate assistant coach, earning a master's degree in sports management. During his two years as a graduate assistant coach at Richmond, he helped his alma mater to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. In the first round of the 1991 NCAA Tourney, Richmond upset Syracuse, the first time a fifteen-seed defeated a two-seed in NCAA tournament history.

The nationwide search for the Cougars new men’s head basketball was coordinated by DHR International, a leading, privately held provider of executive search solutions with more than 40 wholly-owned offices spanning the globe. Glenn Sugiyama, DHR executive vice president and global sector leader of sports (and former Chicago Bulls board member); and Pat Richter, executive vice president, education and sports practice; oversaw the process in conjunction with Baskerville.

“DHR worked tirelessly to find Benjy Taylor,” said Baskerville at the morning press conference. “We are especially happy with the end results of this process that we feel will help lead Chicago State University to a new era of basketball excellence.”

Taylor is married to the former Wendy Fullman and they have three sons: Tyler (16), Otto (6) and Ostin (3).