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BLAINE TAYLOR Head Coach BLAINE TAYLOR Head Coach Blaine Taylor completed his eighth season as the Monarchs head basketball coach. He has guided the Monarchs to 119 wins the last five seasons years which is the best coaching mark in school history, and the best mark in the Commonwealth of Virginia among Division I schools. Taylor has also led the Monarchs to five straight post season tournaments, the longest streak at ODU since 1992-95. The 2008-09 season saw the Monarchs win 25 games and capture the inaugural Collegeinsider.com Post Season Tournament Championship with a 66-62 victory at Bradley. ODU tied for third in the Colonial Athletic Association. This past season, the Monarchs were 18-16 and reached the quarterfinals of the inaugural CBI (College Basketball Invitational). ODU defeated Rider in the opener, then lost a heartbreaker at Virginia. In 2006-07, ODU was 24-9, and the Monarchs finished second in the regular season in the CAA and earned the school's first atlarge bid to the NCAA tournament since 1986. The Monarchs RPI was 40th nationally with one of its highlight wins a 75-62 victory over then eighth ranked Georgetown who would eventually win the BIG EAST championship and advance to the NCAA Final Four. Taylor won his 100th career game at ODU with a 70-57 victory over CAA rival James Madison on Dec. 2, 2006. In 2006, ODU rolled to a 24-10 mark and advanced to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament. ODU beat teams from six of the major conferences which include, Georgia (SEC), Fordham (A-10), Virginia Tech (ACC), DePaul (Big East), Colorado (Big 12) and East Carolina (Conference USA). On Dec. 5th, ODU ranked second in CollegeInsider.com mid major poll with an RPI of 20. In 2004-05, Taylor guided a youthful team with only one senior to a school single season record of 28 wins (28-6). The Monarchs captured their first CAA title since 1997 and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament. Taylor reached a coaching milestone on Jan. 19 with his 200th collegiate win as ODU defeated Hofstra in New York, 67-66. Following that season, Taylor was named CAA Coach of the Year, and Coach of the Year in the State of Virgnia by VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Director's Association). Junior forward Alex Loughton was named CAA Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, and earned honorable mention All-American honors as well as being selected to the NACDA National Academic Scholar team. Taylor has had a long successful career, both as a head coach and as an assistant. He came to ODU in 2000 after serving as an assistant coach for three seasons at Stanford University and eight years as head coach at the University of Montana. In 2003-04, ODU defeated George Washington and in-state rival Virginia Tech and took Charlotte and nationally ranked St. Joseph's to the final shot. The Monarchs were tied for first place in the CAA going into the last week of the season and reached the league's tournament semi-finals. In doing so, three Monarchs earned All-CAA honors, the most in school history for a single season. The 2002-03, the Monarchs made a statement with two victories over two-time defending CAA champion, UNC Wilmington. Ricardo Marsh earned All-CAA honors and then freshman center Alex Loughton was named to the CAA All-Rookie squad. That season, with the opening of the Ted Constant Convocation Center, ODU had the nation's eighth largest attendance increase from the previous year. Taylor posted a 142-65 record in seven seasons as head coach at Montana, taking his teams to the NCAA tournament in both 1992 and 1997, and the NIT in 1995. His teams had five, 20 win seasons. The most successful head coach in Montana basketball history, Taylor earned national Rookie Coach of the Year honors in 1992, as well as being named Big Sky Coach of the Year. In 1992, Montana was 27-4, winning the Big Sky title and advancing to the NCAA tournament. In Big Sky history, only three teams have won 27 games. His winning percentage of .686 is fifth best all-time in Big Sky Conference history. The Grizzlies won 20 or more games 15 times in school history, and Taylor's teams accomplished that five times, in 1992 (27), 1994 (20), 1995 921), 1996 (20) and 1997 (21). Montana averaged 20.3 wins per year while Taylor was the head coach. At Stanford, Taylor helped lead the top-seeded Cardinal to the NCAA West regional final in 2001 en route to posting a 31-3 record, including a victory over the Monarchs in the first round of the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. The Cardinal was ranked No. 1 for six weeks and advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of Taylor=s three years on Mike Montgomery=s staff. Stanford won three Pac 10 Championships during Taylor's tenure. A graduate of Montana, Taylor earned the school=s Naseby Rhinehart Award as the Most Inspirational Player in 1981 as well as being named the University=s most outstanding male athlete that same year. A starting point guard at Montana, Taylor is ninth in career assists with 300. He is also one of the school=s leading career throw shooters at .819 and he scored 753 career points. He was an honorable mention All-Big Sky selection as a junior and senior and was named to the league=s post season All-Tournament team as a senior. Taylor played for Mike Montgomery from 1979-81 at Montana, then served as his graduate assistant coach in 1982 and 1983. He was an assistant coach for Stew Morrill for five seasons. Taylor served as a head coach at Loyola Sacred Heart High School in Misoula from 1984-86. As head coach at ODU, Taylor has played a significant role in fund raising. The men's basketball program now has eight fully endowed scholarships. He earned a bachelor of arts in secondary education from Montana in 1981, and a Masters of Science in athletic administration in 1984. He and his wife Annie are the parents of daughters; Amber, 27 who attended Old Dominion, Ashley 20, Alexandria 19 and Alana 14. Taylor is the 12th head coach in Old Dominion's 70-year basketball history.
TAYLOR'S COLLEGE HEAD COACHING RECORD TAYLOR AT ODU
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