Men's College Basketball News

Taylor takes over as Ball State men's basketball coach

Aug 8, 2007, 3:40 GMT

Muncie, IN - Ball State University named Billy Taylor as the new head men's basketball coach on Tuesday.

Taylor, a 1995 graduate of Notre Dame, spent the last five seasons as the head coach at Lehigh University, leading the Mountain Hawks to a record of 81-69.

In 2004-05, Taylor led Lehigh to its first-ever Patriot League regular season and tournament championships, including the school's first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. This past season, the Mountain Hawks posted a 19-12 mark, including a school-record 11 Patriot League wins.

Taylor will be officially introduced at a Wednesday press conference.

'It was clear that Billy Taylor wanted to be the head coach at Ball State University,' said BSU athletics director Tom Collins. 'Billy has head coaching experience, Midwest roots and played at Notre Dame. He learned from the best in John MacLeod and Fran McCaffrey and was highly successful in a great league. Perhaps even more important, he cares about the student-athletes and is a proven winner.'

Taylor will take over for Ronny Thompson, who had a turbulent 15-month tenure as the school's head coach.

Ball State went 9-22 last season, the most losses in a season in school history. To add further insult to an already dismal season, the program had two NCAA rules violations, the second coming in May, and an incident in June in which notes with racist language were left in the men's basketball office, according to a story in the Muncie Star Press.

Thompson, the son of legendary Georgetown head coach John Thompson and brother of current Hoyas head coach John Thompson III, resigned his post in July.

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