New coach inherits troubling program
Taylor felt comfortable taking job despite violations, racist notes
Ryan Wood
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Less than a hour after the August 8 press conference announced Billy Taylor as the men's basketball coach at Ball State University, senior guard Peyton Stovall walked to Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins and wrapped his arms around him in a hug.
Both figures in the Cardinals' athletics department have been forced to deal with the uncertain, rocky foundation of the men's basketball program during the past month. With Taylor's arrival in Muncie, that foundation is certainly more stable. However, Taylor said he knows his arrival does not solve all the problems affecting the program.
"We've got a lot of work to do, both myself, assembling a coaching staff and with the student athletes we have coming into the program," Taylor said. "We've got to get a lot of things figured out for our guys so that we have a plan in place for them to be successful. It's going to take time, it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I'm committed to [this program]. I know it's not going to be an easy process, but I just hope everybody can be patient as we grow together."
Taylor stressed the road to success for the program will be a long one. In the past two months, the Cardinals' athletics department has faced NCAA and external investigations into its own internal investigation on NCAA violations with the men's basketball program.
However, most troubling to Taylor was the incident that involved anonymous racial notes found in the men's basketball office. Taylor said the incident, which occurred in late June, initially gave him concerns about joining the Ball State community.
"That was a deplorable act and that was a concern for me having a family with two small children," Taylor said.
Taylor said he spoke with Collins and Ball State President Jo Ann Gora about the incident and after receiving additional information his confidence in the university and the Muncie area was restored.
Also providing comfort to Taylor was the fact that he is from the Midwest region. Taylor, whose hometown of Aurora, Ill., is the same as Collins, played four seasons at Notre Dame University under coach John MacLeod.
Both figures in the Cardinals' athletics department have been forced to deal with the uncertain, rocky foundation of the men's basketball program during the past month. With Taylor's arrival in Muncie, that foundation is certainly more stable. However, Taylor said he knows his arrival does not solve all the problems affecting the program.
"We've got a lot of work to do, both myself, assembling a coaching staff and with the student athletes we have coming into the program," Taylor said. "We've got to get a lot of things figured out for our guys so that we have a plan in place for them to be successful. It's going to take time, it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I'm committed to [this program]. I know it's not going to be an easy process, but I just hope everybody can be patient as we grow together."
Taylor stressed the road to success for the program will be a long one. In the past two months, the Cardinals' athletics department has faced NCAA and external investigations into its own internal investigation on NCAA violations with the men's basketball program.
However, most troubling to Taylor was the incident that involved anonymous racial notes found in the men's basketball office. Taylor said the incident, which occurred in late June, initially gave him concerns about joining the Ball State community.
"That was a deplorable act and that was a concern for me having a family with two small children," Taylor said.
Taylor said he spoke with Collins and Ball State President Jo Ann Gora about the incident and after receiving additional information his confidence in the university and the Muncie area was restored.
Also providing comfort to Taylor was the fact that he is from the Midwest region. Taylor, whose hometown of Aurora, Ill., is the same as Collins, played four seasons at Notre Dame University under coach John MacLeod.
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