Assistant coach Billy Taylor leaves Iowa to be head coach at Elon

IOWA CITY — A veteran voice on the Iowa men’s basketball bench is on the move.

Assistant coach Billy Taylor was named the head coach at Elon University Friday.

He will lead a Colonial Athletic Association program that went 10-22 in 2021-22. Elon, which is located about 30 minutes east of Greensboro, N.C., has not boasted a winning conference record since 2016-17.

“As a program, we will pursue excellence on the basketball court, in the classroom and in the community,” Taylor said in a news release. “Our family is excited to begin this new journey, and we look forward to joining the Elon community."

Taylor had two stints on head coach Fran McCaffery’s Iowa staff — first from 2013-16 as operations director and then as assistant coach from 2019-22.

When McCaffery had COVID-19 in February, Taylor stepped in as acting head coach and led the Hawkeyes to a 71-59 win over Minnesota.

Taylor previously was a head coach at Lehigh, Ball State and Division II-level Belmont Abbey.

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