Gary Taylor
 |
|
Gary Taylor has compiled 330 Division I victories, the second highest total in the NCAA among active coaches.
When Taylor came to Rider in 1978 to succeed the program's founder, National Wrestling Hall of Famer Barry Burtnett, he set forth a goal of bringing eastern and national recognition to wrestling on the Rider campus. This he has done, with a 330-174-4 dual meet record at Rider, against the toughest level of competition in the East.
The 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999 East Coast Wrestling Association Coach of the Year, Taylor has turned out 88 conference champions and has taken 129 Broncs to the NCAA Championships, including 16 in the last three years.
Rider has won conference championships in 1984, '86, '88, '89,'90,'91,'93,'94, '96, ’97, ‘98, '99 and 2000, and finished runner-up in the Colonial Athletic Association twice in the last three years. The pinnacle of Taylor's career, however, came in 1997, when the Broncs cracked the top ten in the national poll and were ranked seventh in the nation over the final five weeks of the season by the Amateur Wrestling News.
Before 1997, Taylor's Broncs were ranked as high as 15th (1982) by the Amateur Wrestling News and have finished 18th (1980), 20th (1991) and 28th (1983) in the nation at the NCAAs. In 1989 his squad was ranked 20th in the nation in the final dual meet polls and the 1991 squad was ranked among the top 20 nationally for most of the season.
In 1996 he escorted nine Broncs to the NCAA National Championships, where only perennial national champion Iowa had more with 10, and finished the dual meet season ranked 24th in the country. In 1993 his Broncs finished the dual meet season ranked 19th in the nation and finished 26th in Division I at the Nationals.
In 1997, Taylor came home from Nationals with three all-Americans and added another in each of the next three seasons.
To date 12 of Taylor's wrestlers, Lou DiSerafino (1980), Tim Morrison (1983), John Lucerne (1985), Adam Derengowski (1991), Leo Giel (1999), John Hangey (1993), Jason Nase (1997), Francis Dunn (1997), John Carvalheira (1997, 1998), Shawn Scannell (2000) and Don Fisch (2007) have earned All-America honors.
Taylor holds an honors degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg University, where he assisted the wrestling program for two years, and a master's degree in school administration and supervision from Rider.
Most Division I Victories Among Active Wrestling Coaches
1. Jack Childs, Drexel 376
2. Gary Taylor, Rider 330
3. Paul Mance, Appalachian State 327
4. J Robinson, Minnesota 308
5. Dave Amato, Brown 273
6. Jack Spates, Oklahoma 259
7. Carl Adams, Boston U. 251
8. John Smith, Oklahoma State 240
9. Craig Turnbull, West Virginia 237
10. Randy Stottlemyer, Pittsburgh 234
