Taylor University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Kyle Gould, announced on Tuesday that Josh Andrews would not be returning as TU’s head men’s basketball coach following the conclusion of his 11th season at the helm for the Trojans.
“Josh Andrews represented Taylor Athletics and our men’s basketball program with integrity and dedication for eleven years as our head coach,” stated Gould. “His tenure was marked with many highlights and accomplishments, and he was fully committed to the development and discipleship of the young men he recruited into the program. We wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward.”
Taylor’s Vice President for Student Development and Intercollegiate Athletics, Skip Trudeau, added, “We appreciate Josh’s contributions to our program and we wish him success in his next endeavor.”
Andrews took over the TU men’s basketball program for the 2013-2014 season as just the third Taylor head coach since the start of the 1947-1948 campaign, following Hall of Famers, Don Odle and Paul Patterson to the position.
In his 11 years with the Trojans, Andrews saw his squad pick up 148 wins, while producing 21 All-Crossroads League honors and two NAIA All-Americans. The Trojans were especially tough inside Odle Arena, going 92-68 under Andrews, while scoring 13 victories over top-25 foes on the home planks.
The highlight campaign came in 2016-2017, with Andrews leading the Trojans to a 21-12 clip that included a 73-67 win over No. 8 Warner in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament. TU matched its best start in program history that year at 10-0, climbed as high as No. 7 in the NAIA Top-25 Poll and set program records for three-pointers made in a single game and a single season.
In addition to those on-court accomplishments, Andrews’ teams routinely rated among the finest in the classroom in the NAIA, ranking top-10 in team grade-point average four times in the past six years.
“My family and I are grateful to have been a part of the Taylor community the past eleven years,” said Andrews. “We are so thankful for the contributions of the players and assistants, past and present, who sacrificed and invested to pursue excellence. Special thanks to the incredible men’s basketball alumni base for welcoming and supporting us. Taylor is an amazing place and it has been a thrill and honor to help develop young men, while seeking to represent Christ from the prestigious helm of the men’s basketball program.”
Taylor will begin a national search for its next head men’s basketball coach immediately, with the successful candidate taking over a program that ranks 12th in all-time wins for an NAIA men’s basketball program.
https://taylortrojans.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/releases/20240305tllsv0
