Joni Taylor Introduced as Women's Basketball Head Coach
Mar 24, 2022 | Women's Basketball
Joni Taylor was introduced as the new head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M on Thursday morning before a large crowd of staff, friends, family and supporters. You can watch the event and read quotes from it below.
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KRISTEN BROWN:
Howdy! Good morning and welcome to Reed Arena, everyone. My name is Kristin Brown, and I'm the Deputy Athletic Director, Senior Women Administrator, and Sport Administrator for women's basketball.
Today is a very exciting day, and it's personally a day that I've been looking forward to for a very long time. Exciting day for Texas A&M University as we welcome Coach Joni Taylor and her family here to Aggieland as our next head women's basketball coach. (Applause)
From my time here at Texas A&M, I've quickly learned how special of a place Aggieland truly is. It's a place that's built on core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity, and selfless service. And as Ross [Bjork] and I were going through the search process, those traits, of course, were at the top of our mind.
When we first had the opportunity to officially meet Coach Taylor -- but we've obviously been observing her from the opposite sideline for a few years now -- and we had a chance to talk to her about her principles, her core values, her philosophy, it was very, very clear that her vision and her philosophy and her values were in alignment with those of Texas A&M. And they fit perfectly, and it was just a natural fit for us here at A&M.
Coach Taylor, simply outstanding. And as we spoke to several of our colleagues around the country, there was consistent themes that continually came up. She's not only a great teacher, a great coach, but she's a phenomenal person. And the relationships that she builds with her team, but also with those around her, are truly special. And the impact that she has on people is just truly, truly special.
I can't wait for you all to have the opportunity to meet her. But before that happens, I'd like to invite up our Director of Athletics, Ross Bjork, to the stage for a few comments. (Applause)
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS ROSS BJORK:
All right. Howdy! So did you waste all your energy when Kristin [Brown] made you do that? I won't make you do that again. Absolutely.
Welcome to Reed Arena. We appreciate everyone being here today.
And, Kristen, great job hosting. You're pretty good at that. More about Kristin here in a few minutes.
But how about those Aggies last night! Was that fun or what? How about that? What a great atmosphere. 26 wins, third most in the history of Aggie basketball. Coach [Buzz] Williams is here today. Thank you very much. (Applause)
Absolutely. So it was actually really cool in the locker room. They were playing the "New York New York" song and the players were dancing. And that was just awesome to see. So, Coach (Buzz Williams), look forward to being with you next week in New York City.
It's a great day to be a Fightin' Texas Aggie, right? We obviously say whoop on that, absolutely.
It's really an exciting day for Texas A&M and Texas A&M Athletics, and, of course, our women's basketball program. Coach Taylor is the eighth coach here for Texas A&M Women's Basketball. She's an experienced coach, and really at the highest level within the SEC.
She's also experienced in another category. We want this to be the last time you do this. But this is the second time that she's replaced a legend. When she took over at Georgia, she replaced Andy Landers, the only coach in Georgia basketball history. And now she replaces our legend, Coach [Gary] Blair.
Where is Coach Blair? Coach Blair, stand up. Stand up. (Cheers and applause) Thank you.
Coach Blair, we want to acknowledge and thank you for your contributions to Texas A&M, to women's basketball, to the Bryan/College Station communities. We know we're going to see Coach -- let's count the places: The golf course, Rotary Club, the Dixie Chicken -- I think you still go there -- Blue Bell Park, Davis Diamond, Kyle Field, Mr. Hamburger, Reed Arena.
So, Coach Taylor, here's the deal, Coach (Gary Blair) can draw up really good inbound plays. So you might want to hire him as a consultant, but you'd have to pay him or buy him a beer.
So Coach [Gary] Blair, thank you for being here today. Absolutely. Congratulations. Thank you. (Applause)
I want to thank our Texas A&M leadership. President [Katherine] Banks, she could not be here today; but her support during this search was invaluable, and her vision for what's happening here at Texas A&M, her great support of athletics. She's in Los Alamos at the National Lab. Obviously that's an important project here at Texas A&M, so she could not be here today. But Coach Taylor and President Banks spoke earlier this week and made that connection. So we're appreciative of her leadership.
Chancellor [John] Sharp also could not be here. We know how much he cares about athletics, and we appreciate what he does for Texas A&M University.
Board of Regents, we have several regents here. Regent Jay Graham and Regent Randy Brooks. We appreciate your leadership. Thank you all for being here. (Applause)
We also have our current players. Ladies, thank you, all. Yes, we got you out of class. (Cheers and applause) So, ladies, thank you, all.
Are there any former women's basketball players? Okay, Destiny [Pitts]. All right, Destiny. (Applause)
Any other former student-athletes? If you all could just wave. Thank you all for being here. We appreciate our former student-athletes.
We also have other head coaches, athletic staff. Our faculty athletic rep, Paul Batista, is here. We also have members of our President's Cabinet are here as well. So thank you all for being here.
And back to Kristen [Brown]. So Kristen and I were the tag team on this search. And Kristin is our Deputy Athletics Director. And I think her two-year anniversary is March 26th, so she's two days away from being here two years. And so I relied on her research skills. I relied on her experience as a former college basketball player. I guess there's film out there somewhere. (laughter) But she played college basketball. She knows the game. She knows the characteristics. And I relied on her counsel throughout this process.
We interviewed all kinds of people, all kinds of coaches at the highest level of college basketball. So our search was very, very thorough. We also employed TurnkeyZRG search firm. Chad Chatlos and Katy Young. I think they're watching. So thank you all for your support.
So thank you, Kristin, for your leadership and what do you for Texas A&M.
Texas A&M Women's Basketball, Kristen mentioned our core values. And we know what those stand for. We also want to make sure that we use those core values as our influence, as our guide, when we make decisions about who we want to hire here at Texas A&M.
So those were our guiding principles. And so as we sought a new leader for this new era, our priority was to find the right coach, the right leader, but more importantly the right person. Someone who would create and define this new identity of our storied women's basketball program but also someone who would live up to the high standard of excellence in all phases.
We believe that Texas A&M Athletic Department should create opportunities through championship athletics. And as home of the 12th Man, we must be the pinnacle of opportunities realized through sports, championships won, diplomas earned, and leaders equipped and launched -- leaders right here, young ladies -- to impact the world. That's what we do here at Texas A&M.
So we met with the team on March 4th, right after the SEC tournament. And we asked them, "Give us some advice on what should be characteristics of your new head coach." Words like "accountability," "discipline," "skill development," "celebrating positive moments," "relatability," "family atmosphere," "knowledge of the game." Those were phrases that we all talked about. And I think we checked all the characteristics in Coach Taylor. So thank you, all, for your leadership during the process.
Coach Taylor's SEC roots run deep. Not only has she been a head coach in this league for seven years, she's also an SEC Coach of the Year. She grew up in Mississippi, Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Mississippi, and then went to Alabama. We can... (laughter)
We can -- she's got the right maroon on, right?
She then coached at Alabama, LSU, and then was on the staff at Georgia when she became the head coach. She's really been a leader her entire life. Community service awards when she was a student-athlete at Alabama; a post-grad scholarship coming out of the University of Alabama.
And so, as Kristen talked about, when we first met with Coach Taylor several times, we could sense the energy, the drive, the work ethic, the passion, her commitment to high-level basketball, but also doing it the right way. There was really a connection that we had.
And I first met Coach Taylor back in 2013 at a basketball summit of aspiring head coaches, athletic directors, and we had a connection at that point in time. And the more we talked, we could just see that her leadership and her commitment to developing young women on and off the court, that we knew she'd be the right fit for Texas A&M and championship opportunities through basketball.
But it's more than just basketball for Coach Taylor. It's making an impact on the lives of young women with whom that she's entrusted to care for. In a recent article, the mother of a player at Georgia described Coach Taylor as a mother figure and said, "Recruits need to know Joni Taylors aren't just out there." That's a quote. Meaning that Coach Taylor is special in more than just what we see on the basketball court. And that those characteristics are what drew us to her, and hopefully our characteristics drew her to us. But she's the right choice for Texas A&M and our women's basketball program.
We have an entire basketball family coming, folks. Darius played at Michigan.
Is there film on that, too? A little bit? A little bit of film.
But Darius, Jacie, Drew. Joni's parents, Hargie and Jonas Crenshaw, are here today as well. And Jerry and Bula Taylor are also here. So welcome to our family, and we're glad that you all are here today.
So it's a new era of Texas A&M basketball. (Applause) Absolutely. It's a new era of Texas A&M basketball. Please welcome our new head coach, Joni Taylor. (Applause)
COACH TAYLOR:
So everybody has had a chance to meet my two mini-mes, Jacie and Drew.
Howdy! Oh, I love how that sounds. Can I just do it one more time? Howdy! That is amazing. That is amazing. Thank you so much.
I have to start by just saying that we serve an awesome God, and it is only through His grace and mercy that I'm able to stand here before you today. I am truly blessed to have praying family and praying friends. They cover me and they help me stay in alignment for His will in my life. And for that, I am extremely grateful. (Applause)
I would like to start by thanking President [Katherine] Banks, Ross Bjork, Kristin Brown for entrusting me with the future of Texas A&M Women's Basketball. It is truly a privilege to be standing before you today. And I want you to know that I recognize that, I'll honor it, and do everything in my power to uphold and enhance the legacy that is Texas A&M Women's Basketball.
If I was going to leave the position I was in at the institution I was at, which I love, it had to be for the right people and the right place. And I felt that connection more and more as I talked to Ross and Kristin and ultimately let me to the decision to take this great opportunity. I am thankful for your belief in me and the commitment that you've given me and the opportunity to lead this history-rich program. Thank you.
Many of the head coaches here have already reached out to welcome me here and our family to Aggieland. And I've had the chance to visit with a few of you. Buzz [Williams] took the time to come and speak to me this morning, which I really appreciate. I know you are getting ready for New York.
Can I come with you? (Laughter) I will carry some bags. No, no, no, no, don't want to do that. I want to learn, I want to watch. But if you got some space, let me know, let me know.
I can't wait to meet the rest of you. I know you all have to teach me a lot of things about Aggieland. And I'm excited and honored to work alongside you.
Coach [Gary] Blair, thank you. Thank you for being a steward of our great game. Thank you for your leadership. (Applause)
Let me tell you something about Coach Blair. When I started out as a young pup in this business as an assistant coach, he always found me and shared information with me. And you don't find head coaches who do that. And you definitely don't find legends who talk to assistants. And so he has always -- not only me. But if you asked anybody in our business, he has always taken time to spread what he knows.
When we're in conference meetings, he has the great ability to take off his institutional hat and make decisions that are best for our conference and that are best for the game of women's basketball. So thank you for all that you've done, not only here at Texas A&M but for our game and helping grow it. Thank you. (Applause)
So to now have the opportunity to build on the great legacy and tradition that you've created here is something special. I don't take it lightly. And with your continued advice and support, I'm excited about the future of our program.
I would also like to thank the University of Georgia, President [Jere] Moorehead, Josh Brooks, Darrice Griffin, and obviously all of our former players, our staff, the parents. It was hard to leave. And I will forever be grateful to Andy Landers, who brought me to Athens as an assistant coach in 2011, and to Greg McGarity and Karla Williams who hired me as head coach in 2015.
To all the former fans to embraced me and my family, I sincerely say thank you.
I would also like to recognize my family who is here with me today. My husband, Darius Taylor, who is the Assistant General Manager of the Atlanta Dream. When Ross told you we had a basketball family, he wasn't joking. (Laughter)
So as soon as our season ends, his season starts. So we are like two ships passing in the night. We live off of a Google calendar, and our parents do a lot to support us. So my husband is here, my 5-year-old daughter, Jacie Taylor, my 3-year-old daughter, Drew; my mom, Hargie Crenshaw; my dad, Jonas Crenshaw; my mother-in-law, Bula Taylor; and my father-in-law, Jerry Taylor. (Applause)
It's important to have great circle around you to keep you grounded, to hold you accountable. And I know Darius and I both are grateful, because we couldn't do what we do without you. So thank you for, in many cases, putting your life on hold to help support us and keep our family intact. Thank you.
To Texas A&M University, the Aggie network, the 12th Man, I'm extremely excited and anxious to work with all of you and not just in areas involving women's basketball. I'm looking forward to spending time with you, and would be happy to help in any way that I can to promote the University. I have a lot to learn, and I'm going to lean into you for help as we transition and immerse ourselves into Aggieland as a family.
To our current players, I know this transition period isn't always easy. Thank you for handling it with grace. I can't wait for us to get started on this journey. It's like we said today: Hard work, doing it together, doing things the right way, all the time in every way is how it's going to be accomplished.
I have no doubt that we have a chance to do something special. And it's going to take each and every one of us every day bringing the best we can in all areas, working as hard as we can on and off the floor. I'm ready for the challenge, and I hope you are, too. (Applause)
To every high-level recruit in Texas, I want to take a moment and let you know that you are our first priority. Yes, we're going to recruit nationally. We're going to pursue the very best players in the country. But I want elite players in the state of Texas to know that you are our first target. High school coaches, AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) coaches, parents, our doors are always open. And we welcome you here in College Station and on our campus at any time.
I get asked a lot about what's the vision for your program. It's pretty simple. We want to develop young women that have great character and who will compete in the classroom and on the court and that will represent themselves, their families, and this University in a first-class manner and be visible in our community.
When players leave Aggieland after their career is over, we want them to not only leave with a degree but with a love for Texas A&M that is so strong that they just cannot stay away. That is something truly special to watch, former students who continue to come back and support the program and feed knowledge and energy back into the current players.
I want and expect that to be the standard, and I'm looking forward to connecting with all the former students and getting to know you. I need you. This program needs you. And we want you to be a part of this journey.
Specifically as it relates to basketball, I'm not going to stand here in front of you today and make a bunch of promises. But what I can tell you is that we're going to play extremely hard. We're going to defend at a high level. We're going to play together as a team. We're going to put a product on the floor that you can be proud of and be excited to get behind and support
We have the resources, the facilities, and the support to do great things here on a national level, and that is the standard. That's what we will strive for.
It is very important to our success that the 12th Man, the fans, and the community is involved in our program. We need you in the stands cheering us on and supporting us. And I ask that you make a commitment today to stand with us as we embark on a new era in Texas A&M Women's Basketball.
We have work to do, and I cannot wait to get started. We play in the best conference in the country. Having played in the SEC and coached in this league for 14 years, I know this to be true. There are great teams in this conference, and so the staff that we assemble will be hard-working, high-character people who are knowledgeable and equipped to help me develop a great legacy and tradition that was created by Hall of Fame Coach Gary Blair and Texas A&M Women's Basketball.
Thank you so much for coming today. The love and support our family has already received has truly been overwhelming. I promise to make you proud. Love you big. Thank you. And gig 'em! (Applause)
transcript courtesy Caption Pros
