Ball State University men's basketball head coach Billy Taylor on Wednesday became the second Cardinals coach in less than a week to receive a two-year contract extension, joining women's basketball head coach Kelly Packard, who signed a two-year deal on Aug. 7.
Entering his third season, Taylor - who originally signed a five-year contract with an annual salary of $182,000 - will now be signed contractually with the school until March 31, 2014, athletics director Tom Collins announced.
The contract extension to Taylor brings a stronger sense of stability to a program that has endured three head coaches in a span of the past four seasons.
Tim Buckley was fired following the 2005-06 campaign after a 10-18 (6-12 Mid-American Conference) showing, and his replacement, Ronny Thompson, resigned following the 2006-07 season after a then-school record 22 losses, several NCAA violations and amid what Thompson called a "racially hostile work environment."
Taylor was hired in August of 2007 and endured a depleted roster that included no players over 6-foot-5, as the Cardinals finished with a 6-24 overall record.
Last season, however, Ball State won a share of the MAC West Division title with a 14-17 (7-9 MAC) record, including a No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament.
Furthermore, freshman center Jarrod Jones - recruited by Taylor - received both the MAC Freshman of the Year award and All-MAC Honorable Mention honors, paving the way for the 2009-10 season that includes four freshman newcomers and one transfer - senior forward Terrence Watson - who are expected to make an immediate impact.
Taylor, 36, last season finished second in the MAC Coach of the Year balloting.
""We have made great progress so far and had some achievements to celebrate," Taylor said in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to develop quality student-athletes and continue the journey of our program toward the NCAA Tournament. This commitment by the University is a sign of stability for our program. That stability is impactful for both our current student-athletes and in the eyes of future Ball State student-athletes."
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