Vince Taylor, a Kentucky native and former standout guard at Duke, is in his seventh season on the U of L basketball staff as an assistant coach. "Vince was highly recommended to me," said U of L Coach Rick Pitino. "This is the first time that I've retained anyone from the previous staff, primarily because I've traveled with the people I've worked with. I coached Vince as a basketball camper." Taylor, 44, who played basketball at Tates Creek High School in Lexington, was an assistant at Pittsburgh for one year and spent two months as an assistant at Wyoming in 1998, before coming to Louisville. Prior to his coaching stint at Pittsburgh, Taylor spent the previous 13 seasons playing professional basketball in Europe, including the last two as a player/assistant coach in the Belgium professional league. A standout guard under head coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Bill Foster at Duke, Taylor earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior after averaging an ACC-leading 20.3 points a game. He is No. 20 among Duke career scorers with 1,455 points and once held the school record by playing in 120 consecutive games. During Taylor's collegiate career, the Blue Devils won the 1979 ACC regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice (1979 and 1980) and National Invitational Tournament once (1981). A 1982 graduate of Duke with a bachelor's degree in economics, Taylor was named to the President's List at Duke his senior year. That honor is awarded to only five percent of the student body, and is based on contributions to the university and academic achievements. Taylor, who prides himself on helping to develop perimeter players, was selected by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 1982 NBA Draft (34th pick overall). He spent the 1982-83 season with the Knicks before joining the Indiana Pacers in 1983-84. Taylor's European basketball career began in 1984, initially playing in Italy (1984-86) and later in France (1986-92) and Belgium (1992-97). Taylor, who has international recruiting ties, feels it important to build strong relationships with today's student-athletes both on and off the court. He enjoys the recruiting facet of basketball coaching and understands how significant it is in winning championships. Taylor prepped at Tates Creek High School, where he was a McDonald's high school All-American as a senior in 1978 while averaging 29.3 points and 11 rebounds. His sister Janet has U of L ties, earning her undergraduate and medical degrees from U of L, and is married to Stu Jackson, senior vice president of the NBA. A native of Lexington, Taylor has two children: Brendan (9) and Maya (6).
Vince Taylor Up CloseYears at U of L: Seventh. Joined staff in 1998 after serving one year as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh. Previous Coaching Experience: Assistant Coach, University of Wyoming (1998); Assistant Coach, University of Pittsburgh (1997-98), Player/Assistant Coach, professional team in Belgium (1995-97). Playing Experience: High School -- All-America performer at Tates Creek High School in Lexington, Ky. College -- No. 20 career scorer for Duke University, earning All-ACC honors as a senior. Professional -- Two years in NBA, first with New York Knicks (1982-83) before being traded to the Indiana Pacers (1983-84). Thirteen years playing pro ball on European teams in Italy (1984-86), France (1986-92) and Belgium (1992-97). Education: B.S. in Economics from Duke University in 1982; graduate of Tates Creek High School in Lexington, Ky. Personal Data: Born Sept. 11, 1960 in Lexington, Ky.; Two children: son Brendan (9) and daughter Maya (6). |
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