The nationally-renowned Salt Lake Community College men's basketball program will have a new floor general.
Tuesday, SLCC Director of Athletics & Recreation Kevin Dustin announced that Kyle Taylor, a regional figure in college basketball with rich experience, has been hired to become the program's sixth head coach. Taylor's hire culminated a national coaching search that included notable figures from across the college basketball landscape.
A veteran of many successful coaching searches, Dustin said the search identified Taylor was the perfect fit for Salt Lake's successful program.
"Immediately after learning we would be in need of a new coach, I called a number of close friends in the business," said Dustin, who also worked in the coaching profession earlier in his career. "Kyle was one of the first candidates to emerge. He fit our profile perfectly and we were excited when he expressed interest in Salt Lake Community College. He is a bright, young coach who is very detail-oriented with an excellent recruiting network. His experience as a head coach and a pedigree of having worked for-and-with some great coaches is what made Coach Taylor stand out. Kyle takes very seriously his obligation to lead young men and help prepare them for life. He is committed to the mission and vision of Salt Lake Community College. We look forward to welcoming Kyle and Shannon, as well as Phillip, Kade, and Quinn to the Bruin family."
The program's first external hire since Norm Parrish in 1991, Taylor said the prestige of the SLCC program is what appealed to him.
"Salt Lake Community College is one of the best NJCAA jobs in the country and I feel incredibly blessed to be the new head coach," he said. "From the first time I spoke with Kevin Dustin, I knew he was the type of visionary leader I wanted to work with. The tradition of excellence that Coach Parrish and Coach Phillips have established is tremendous, and I'm looking forward to building off their success. Salt Lake City is a great city to live in and recruit to. The college is in great hands under the leadership of President (Deneece) Huftalin."
Dustin noted the success of the hiring process in bringing a candidate such as Taylor to lead the Bruins.
"We quickly realized SLCC was a desirous destination for a number of extremely qualified candidates, which is a credit to Coach Phillips and his staff and players," he said. "With dozens of terrific individuals, it took a while to sort through and evaluate the pool. We interviewed a number of coaches, many with head coaching experience."
Taylor most recently worked as the Associate Head Coach at Idaho State University. During his tenure with the Bengals, he worked as the program's offensive coordinator and also helped with skill development. Taylor also worked as the program's recruiting coordinator. Prior to that, Taylor worked for Utah State University under former coach Tim Duryea as his special assistant.
His previous head coaching experience came at Covenant College, where he was also the Director of Athletics for the NCAA Division-III institution in Georgia. While at Covenant, he led the team to their first NCAA tourney appearance and a school-record 18 wins after the 2016 season. In his role as Athletic Director, Taylor managed the budget, assisted with fundraising efforts for the institution, and successfully navigated a transition from NAIA to NCAA membership.
Taylor's coaching experience started in California at Pepperdine University, working as a video coordinator. He also worked as an operations director at Cal State Northridge. The California native earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a graduate degree from Northwest Missouri State University.
After working all levels of the coaching profession, Taylor said his program will be focused on several goals that range from academic achievement to player development.
"As far as the program goes, we are going to pursue championships on the court and help our players grow off the court as men. Insuring that student athletes receive their Associate degrees will be our top priority as coaches. We are going to continue to recruit high character and talented basketball players who will help us compete for Scenic West, Region 18 and National Championships. Player skill development will be a major component of our program, as well as assisting them in pursuing their dream of receiving a scholarship to a four-year school."
Taylor will be moving to the Wasatch Front to coach the Bruins with his own team. His wife, Shannon, and their three children – Kade, 10; Quinn, 8; and Phillip, 6 – will be joining Taylor shortly from Pocatello, where they have lived while he worked with Idaho State.