Taylor relishes matchup vs. Mids
Kansas State AD spent 15 years at Naval Academy
Gene Taylor has fond memories of his formative days as an athletic administrator.
Taylor’s first job in collegiate athletics was at the Naval Academy, where he was hired in 1986 as the assistant ticket manager. He spent 15 years in Annapolis, steadily climbing the ladder within the athletic department while performing myriad roles.
Along the way, Taylor developed friendships that remain strong to this day.
“It was a great time to be at the Naval Academy,” he said. “I was there when the staff consisted of a lot of young, single guys, and we had a ton of fun. We’d work various athletic events, then head to Riordan’s. During summers, we’d go boating on the Chesapeake Bay.
“I loved Annapolis and I loved the Naval Academy — still do on both counts.”
Those memories came flooding back to Taylor earlier this month when he learned Navy would meet Kansas State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Nearly two decades after he left Annapolis, Taylor has reached the pinnacle of the profession as an athletic director at a Power Five Conference school.
“I’m excited that Navy is the opponent for a lot of reasons,” said Taylor, who was hired as Kansas State athletic director in April 2017. “First off, it’s always cool to play against a service academy.
“To have it be Navy makes it more fun for me personally because that is where I got my start. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of the Navy folks I know in Memphis.”
Taylor’s roommate for a while during his early years in Annapolis was Mike Schofield, who spent three decades as Navy’s water polo coach. Taylor met his wife Cathy through Schofield because she is his sister.
Another close friend from those days was Emmett Davis, now in his second stint as a Navy men’s basketball assistant. Davis assisted head coach Don DeVoe from 1986 through 1998, arriving in Annapolis the same year as Taylor.
“Gene is one of my best friends in the world to this day,” said Davis, noting that Taylor was a groomsman in his wedding.
“Gene is one of the finest human beings I know. Just a real honest, down-to-earth person.”
The Davis and Taylor families get together annually while attending the college basketball Final Four and have watched each other’s children grow up. Davis, who left Navy to become head coach at Colgate before returning in 2015 as an assistant to current head coach Ed DeChellis, had no doubt Taylor would go straight to the top.
“I knew Gene was going to be a big-time athletic director one day because he’s genuine,” Davis said. “He truly cares about the people he works with and the student-athletes he works for,.
“Gene is an ideal administrator because he’s a real people person and has an innate ability to always see the big picture. It’s great to see good people get rewarded in this business.”
Navy basketball plays at Virginia on Sunday, then opens Patriot League play Jan. 2, two days after the Liberty Bowl, so Davis will not be in Memphis with the rest of his family, which includes a namesake son who is a junior wide receiver for the Navy football team.
Taylor got his long-awaited shot at Kansas State after John Currie left for Tennessee. His past Navy connections came in handy when it came time to interview with school President Richard Myers, a retired four-star general who served as the 15th Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff.
Taylor reached out to longtime Navy senior associate athletic director Carl Tamulevich for assistance. Tamulevich’s roommate and 1968 classmate at the Naval Academy had been Adm. Michael Mullen, who served as the 28th Chief of Naval Operations.
“It carried some weight when another former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gave me a recommendation,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s first major hire came last winter, when he had to replace legendary football coach Bill Snyder. Taylor tabbed defensive coordinator Chris Klieman, whom he trusted from their days together at North Dakota State.
“Knowing him personally, I felt strongly that Chris would be a great fit here,” Taylor said.