Tasha Taylor will be in her eighth season as an assistant coach with the Elon University women’s basketball program in 2021-22 after joining the staff in October 2014. She arrived at Elon after serving in the same role at Limestone College for two years.
Last season, Taylor helped lead the Phoenix to a 7-8 (3-5) record on the season, including wins against James Madison (77-55), Drexel (59-57) and Delaware (83-61). Elon entered the CAA Championship as the six seed, eventually falling to the three seed, Drexel, in the quarterfinals. For her performance in the classroom, senior Saadia Munford was named the 2020-21 CAA Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2019-20, Taylor helped lead the team to a 14-16 (8-10 CAA) record on the season. Entering the CAA Campionship as the seventh seed, the Phoenix defeated Hofstra 71-51 in the opening round prior to the remainder of the championship and postseason being canceled.
Following the 2017-18 season, the Phoenix finished with a 9-21 overall record and 4-14 record in conference play during the 2018-19 campaign. Elon finished eighth in the regular season, earning the No. 8 seed in the CAA Tournament. The Phoenix were defeated in the first round.
In 2016-17, Taylor helped the Phoenix to a record-breaking season that saw Elon win the CAA regular season and tournament titles while reaching the first NCAA Tournament in program history. On the year, Elon set a new program Division I record for victories with a 27-7 mark to go with a 16-2 record in CAA action. The Phoenix earned the regular-season title with a commanding 82-48 triumph over UNCW on March 1 inside Alumni Gym before defeating all three of its CAA Tournament opponents by nearly 25 points. The run was capped with a 78-60 defeat of James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. As a result, the Phoenix earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament, where it battled sixth-seeded West Virginia and ultimately fell in a back-and-forth game to the Mountaineers in College Park, Md. Throughout the year, Elon earned nine consecutive victories from Dec. 17, 2016, to Jan. 15, 2017, marking the most in a row as a Division I program and the most consecutive wins since 1983-84. It also set new program Division I records for highest attended games, seeing three crowds of more than 1,000 spectators pack Alumni Gym during conference play. At season’s end, Lauren Brown was named the CAA’s Dean Ehlers Leadership Award winner.
Following up the strong 2016-17 season, Elon touted the sixth-youngest roster in the nation with three seniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. After going 8-3 in non-conference play, Elon struggled to a 4-4 start in CAA action before rattling off the program's Division I record with 13-straight victories from Jan. 28 to March 10 on the way to capturing its second CAA Tournament title in as many years to secure its spot in the NCAA Tournament. In winning the CAA Tournament, the Phoenix made conference history by becoming just the second time in tournament history not seeded No. 1 or No. 2 to win the title. The only other occasion a No. 3 seed on the CAA Tournament was in 1992. Shay Burnett was named a First Team All-CAA honoree for the third-straight season and the CAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after leading the program with 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Malaya Johnson was named a Second Team All-CAA performer with 11.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while Jada Graves was tabbed CAA Defensive Player of the Year with a spot on the All-Defensive Team. A key cog was the development of Ra'Shika White, a Second Team All-CAA performer and the league's Sixth Player of the Year. After averaging just 5.1 points per game with 3.5 rebounds per outing as a rookie in 2016-17, White took major steps with 12.6 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per contest as a sophomore in 2017-18 and played a big role for the program coming off the bench in 32 of its 33 games. During the year, Elon posted a perfect 13-0 record at home inside Alumni Gym to complete just the second perfect home slate in program history.
In all, Elon posted a stellar 52-15 record across the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns with a 30-6 record in CAA action. Along the way, the Phoenix posted a gaudy 24-2 record in Alumni Gym, closing the building having won each of its final 18 games going back to January 2017.
Elon's stellar run to date was setup by a solid 2015-16 season in which the Phoenix went 18-13 and made a second-straight appearance in the WNIT. Overall, it was the team’s fourth postseason appearance at the time and the third in four seasons for Elon. The 2015-16 campaign was highlighted by the program’s first-ever win over Atlantic Coast Conference opponent North Carolina State, a 69-66 final in Raleigh, N.C. At season’s end, Burnett became the first Phoenix player to earn a spot on the All-CAA First Team. Burnett went on to repeat as a First Team All-CAA honoree in 2016-17.
In its inaugural season in the CAA in 2014-15, Taylor helped lead the Phoenix to a 19-13 overall record and an 11-7 conference record in her first year with the program. The team tied for third during the regular season and earned the No. 4 seed in the CAA Tournament, where the Phoenix fell just four points shy of advancing to the title game. It marked the third straight trip to the conference tournament semifinals and while it fell short of the final, the Phoenix earned its first-ever bid to the WNIT.
In her time at Limestone, Taylor played a key role in guiding the team to its best two seasons in program history. She helped lead the Saints to a program-best 27-4 overall record in her first season before a 27-6 mark in 2013-14. During her tenure, Limestone clinched back-to-back Conference Carolinas regular season championships, won the 2014 Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship, made two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and advanced to the 2014 Elite Eight after claiming the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. Taylor also directed and coordinated the operations for Limestone’s women’s basketball team camp.
Prior to Limestone, Taylor served as the assistant women’s basketball coach at Lees-McRae College. She played a leading role in the scouting and recruitment of student-athletes, and was also responsible for the preparation of scouting reports and for the skill development of guards and post players. While with the Bobcats, the team’s overall record improved in each successive season.
A four-year starter for the Clemson women’s basketball program, Taylor played under Elon assistant coach Cristy McKinney from 2005-2009. She ranks fourth all-time in Clemson history with 433 career assists and fifth all-time with 3.70 assists per game.
Taylor led the Tigers in assists during her sophomore and senior campaigns and was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2005-06 while also earning the Playmaker Award following the 2005-06 and 2008-09 seasons. Off the court, she represented the team for three years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
A native of Columbus, Ga., Taylor graduated from Clemson in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis in sports management and a minor in athletic leadership.
What They’re Saying…
Elon head coach Charlotte Smith: “Tasha will be a tremendous asset to our program. She is a first class person with the passion and humility it takes to be a successful coach in this business. As a player, Tasha was a very smart and skilled point guard. I know she has a lot of knowledge from her experiences as an elite guard in the ACC that will help elevate our guard play this year. Her collegiate coaching experience has exposed her to the many facets of coaching in which she will be able to contribute to our program. I look forward to the positive impact and influence she will bring to the Elon, our program and the community."
Tasha Taylor: “I am extremely excited to join Elon's women's basketball family and community. I am very grateful to be a part of a wonderful staff and working for Coach Smith. I am thrilled to have the chance to work under a outstanding player, motivator, role model and one of the great leaders of the game."
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Coaching Timeline
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| 2009-12 |
Assistant Coach, Lees-McRae College |
| 2012-14 |
Assistant Coach, Limestone College |
| 2014-Present |
Assistant Coach, Elon University |
