Josh Taylor will not return to Mizzou volleyball
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
One day after the Mizzou volleyball season came to an end, Mizzou Athletics announced that head coach Josh Taylor will not be retained for next season.
“We thank Coach Taylor for all he has done the past seven years for the volleyball program and University,” Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois said in a press release on Sunday. “We wish him, Molly and their family nothing but the best in the future. I believe Mizzou is one of the best volleyball jobs in the country. We will continue to invest in our volleyball program and will work quickly to find the candidate who is the best fit to continue building our championship culture.”
Taylor finished his time at Mizzou with a 52-61 overall record and a 32-44 record in conference play.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this program over the last four years," Taylor said in a press release. "I am filled with a lot of gratitude towards our players, coaches, staff and everyone who supported and continues to support the volleyball program. Mizzou is a phenomenal place and under Desiree's leadership, I am confident they will continue to achieve great things."
In Taylor's fourth and final season with the Tigers, the team finished with at 9-19, 2-16 in SEC play, marking a last place finish in the conference for the second straight season.
Taylor was initially named the program’s interim head coach in July of 2019. Mizzou removed the interim tag November after a 16-6 start to the 2019 campaign.
In his first year at the helm, Taylor guided Mizzou to a 22-8 overall record and a trip to the program's 16th all-time NCAA Tournament. In his second season, the team finish 16-8 and last year, the team finished 5-26.
Before he was named the head coach, Taylor served as the Tigers’ assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2017-18, helping Mizzou to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and a 46-20 overall record.
Prior to his coaching career at Mizzou, Taylor played collegiate and professional volleyball and competed with the U.S. National Team at the Pan AM Cup and Olympic Training Team in 2016.
Reed-Francois said a national search for a new volleyball coach will begin immediately.
