Assistant boys basketball coach Corey Taylor Monday was named the interim head basketball coach at Ben Davis.
In a letter to the basketball program, Wayne Township said.
“Today, Monday, Oct. 30, we had the opportunity to introduce Coach Corey Taylor as the interim varsity boys basketball head coach as we prepare for the 2023-2024 season. During this time, while Coach Carlisle remains on paid administrative leave, Coach Taylor will assume the responsibilities of head coach for the foreseeable future. The investigatory process is ongoing, and, while we do not have a clear timeline, we respect the right to privacy and due process and remain committed to sharing more information when it becomes available.”
Taylor has been an assistant at Ben Davis for six years. He also teaches physical education.
The letter went on to say:
“Coach Taylor was a member of the 2023 State Championship team coaching staff. Prior to joining the staff at Ben Davis, Coach Taylor played college basketball at Eastern Illinois University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Coach Taylor began his coaching career in Illinois at Champaign Central before moving to Indiana to coach at Noblesville High School, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. Coach Taylor joined the Ben Davis staff six years ago. During his time as an assistant, he helped the team win a conference championship, Marion County Championship, Hall of Fame Classic Championship, a State Runner-up title, as well as the aforementioned State Championship this past season.”
The Giants are coming off a 33-0 season that saw them win the Class 4A state championship. Taylor replaces head coach Don Carlisle, who has been on administrative leave since September.
Ben Davis returns one starter from last year’s state title team but is ranked as high as No. 2 in some preseason polls. The Giants open the season with three straight home games, Nov. 21 against Fishers, Nov. 25 against Zionsville and Nov. 29 against Southport. The team has an intrasquad scrimmage scheduled for Nov. 11.
Taylor is a Champaign, IL native who played basketball for four years at Champaign Centennial High School (IL) for the late Coleman Carrodine and his father (Willie Taylor).
He is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, where he majored in physical education. He served as a student assistant for two seasons with the basketball program for Rick Samuels. Taylor also received a Masters Degree in the field of Educational Leadership during his time at Eastern Illinois.
