Arkansas State head men’s basketball coach Grant McCasland announced the hiring of Hunter Taylor as Director of Basketball Operations.
As the Red Wolves’ director of basketball operations, Taylor’s responsibilities include handling the program’s daily operations, coordinating travel itineraries, assisting with scouting videos and overseeing the team’s student managers. He will also oversee the overall operation of basketball camps.
“After working closely with Hunter, ‘Dr. Taylor’, the past few years at Baylor, it’s clear that he will play a large role in the success of our program here at Arkansas State,” McCasland said. “He is a tremendous worker, great with people and truly cares about the student-athlete experience. We are blessed to have Hunter and Brittany here in Jonesboro as they await the birth of their son, Yates.”
Taylor’s collegiate background includes the last three seasons as a graduate assistant under head coach Scott Drew at Baylor. In those three seasons, the Bears made three-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, a program first. He assisted the Baylor staff, which included McCasland, with film breakdown, scouting reports and individual workouts.
Over the past two summers, Taylor was an assistant coach for Athletes in Action (AIA) in Puebla, Mexico and San Juan, Puerto Rico. His primary role with AIA was practice plans, game management and workouts for two teams made up of college players.
“My wife and I are honored to be a part of Coach McCasland’s team,” said Taylor. “We believe in his vision for Arkansas State basketball, and we will give our very best to help the program reach its potential.”
Prior to pursuing his doctorate at Baylor, he served as head boys’ basketball coach at Spring Hill High School in Longview, Texas. In two seasons as head coach, he compiled a record of 47-19 while earning the 2011-12 District 16-3A Coach of the Year honor. The 2011-12 season saw the Panthers post a 26-7 record while winning the district, bi-district and area championships. The following season, Spring Hill posted a 21-12 record and qualified for the bi-district playoffs.
Taylor was an assistant coach at Trinity University from 2010-11 after spending one year as assistant coach at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va. While at Trinity, Taylor served under coach Pat Cunningham and the Lions posted a 16-11 record while claiming the west division title in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). While at Bishop O’Connell, he helped the squad, led by McDonald’s All-American Kendall Marshall, to the Division I Virginia Independent State Championship with a record of 19-14.
Taylor earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing from the University of Texas in 2005 and later earned a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi in 2008. After earning his master’s, he served two years on Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson’s legislative staff in Washington, DC. He’s expected to earn his Doctor of Education in curriculum and instruction in 2016.
A 2001 graduate of White Oak High School, Taylor was team captain and a first team all-district pick. He was named to the Longview News-Journal’s All-East Texas Team following his senior season and was White Oak’s Athlete of the Year. His father, Bruce, has coached high school football in Texas for over 40 years.
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Photo Courtesy Arkansas State Athletics
