Fred Taylor

Fred Taylor (1924-2002)

Teams coached: Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State record: 297-158 (.653)
Overall record: 297-158 (.653)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1958-1976 Ohio State
1957-1958 Ohio State (asst)

Fred Taylor Facts

  • Frederick Rankin Taylor
  • Born December 3, 1924
  • Died January 6, 2002
  • Hometown: Zanesville, Ohio
  • Alma Mater: The Ohio State University (BA, 1950)
  • After graduating from Lash HS in Zanesville, Taylor served three years in US Army (1943-46)
  • Played both basketball (1948-50) and baseball (1974-50) at Ohio State; was named a baseball All-American in 1950, a first for an OSU player, and his number #27 has been retired by the program
  • Played first base in the Washington Senators (MLB) organization from 1950-52, mostly for the Chattanooga Lookouts
  • Started his coaching career in 1957 as an assistant to Floyd Stahl at Ohio State; Taylor was named head coach of the Buckeyes a year later
    • In his second year, the Buckeyes went 25-3 and won the 1960 NCAA national championship
    • Taylor’s teams followed that up with back-to-back runner-up finishes – both to in-state rival Cincinnati – in 1961 and 1962
    • During his eighteen years as the OSU head coach, Taylor won 297 games, seven Big Ten titles and went to a total of four NCAA Final Fours
    • Taylor’s Buckeye players include Hall of Famers Bob Knight, Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek
  • Retired from coaching in 1976, but spent the next several years managing the US Men’s National Basketball Team
    • Also worked for a while as a television analyst on NBC alongside Merle Harmon
    • Managed a private golf course in New Albany, OH – The Golf Club – for 18 years
  • In addition to the Naismith and College HOF inductions listed above, Taylor was also inducted into the Ohio State Varsity “O” Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Passed away on at the age of 77 in Columbus, survived by his wife, Eileen, and four daughters

Fred Taylor Coaching Tree

  • Jim Cleamons (Dallas Mavericks, Youngstown State)
  • Don DeVoe (Navy, Tennessee, Wyoming, Virginia Tech)
  • Bob Gottlieb (Milwaukee, Jacksonville)
  • Bob Knight (Texas Tech, Indiana, Army)
  • Frank Truitt (Kent State, LSU)