Jan. 16, 2025

ELON’S BILLY TAYLOR EARNS MID-SEASON HONORS
The third-year head coach has led the Phoenix to their best-ever start

BOSTON, MA -- Elon University head coach Billy Taylor is the recipient of the Hugh Durham award ‘Mid-Season’ honors. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.

Picked 12th in Coastal Athletic Association, Billy Taylor has led Elon to its best start in the division I era, which includes a win at Notre Dame on Nov. 22. The Phoenix also started the season 7-0 at home for the first time.

Taylor's team is balanced on both ends of the floor. The Phoenix have four players averaging double-figures in scoring, and they are one of the top defensive teams in the country. They rank 11th in nation, holding opponents to 37.9% from the field. They are also ranked fourth nationally in rebounds per game (43.4) and sixth in the NCAA in rebound margin (+11.0).

Elon currently has a NCAA NET ranking of 124, which is the second-highest in the CAA.

"Coach Taylor has done a phenomenal job leading Elon to an impressive start this season, showcasing his ability to recruit, maximize talent and foster a winning culture," said James Wilhelmi senior analyst for CollegeInsider.com and longtime NCAA coach. "His leadership is sparking renewed excitement around the program. Taylor's strategic approach and player development are setting the stage for sustained success."

Taylor began his head coaching career with five years at Lehigh University, where he was a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year (2003, 2004), Taylor led Lehigh to both the regular season and tournament titles in 2004, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament that season. He spent six seasons at Ball State and guided the Cardinals to the 2009 MAC West Division crown. He has 24 years of coaching experience, starting as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, in 1998.

The Hugh Durham award is named in honor of the former Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville head coach. In eight seasons, at Jacksonville University, Durham became the Dolphins' all-time winningest Division I coach (106 wins), making him the only coach in NCAA history to be the winningest coach (pct. or wins) at three different Division I schools.

He built national programs at Florida State where he holds the record for best winning percentage with a 230-95 (.708) record in 12 years. And at Georgia where he is also the all-time winningest coach in the 99-year history of the Bulldog program, having won 297 games in 17 seasons.

Durham coached Florida State and Georgia to a combined 8 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 2 Final Fours. He is one of 17 coaches to take multiple teams to the Final Four.

Coaches of teams in the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, CUSA, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.

The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.

The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.

NOTE: Portions of the release came from the Elon University athletic website.