With Athletic Director Patrick Johnson forced to step down as the varsity basketball coach at the end of last season due to new ruling, coach Isaac Taylor has been chosen to take over.  

“I couldn’t have been happier with him as an assistant,” Johnson said. “He has been a great asset to me and my players.”

Taylor was a basketball coach at Fellowship Christian School before becoming the assistant Varsity coach under Johnson for three years at Midtown. He hopes to follow in Johnson’s footsteps.

“I’ve learned a lot of great things from Johnson; he’s a great coach,” Taylor said. “I’ve enjoyed working with him as a person in general. He cares about basketball, but most importantly, our guys. The thing I learned from coach Pat is that it’s not all on one person. When you see a team, everyone has a job to do, from me, to my players, to the guys on our coaching staff.”

 Taylor wants to continue to improve the team with a similar approach Johnson had.

“I want to keep advancing our program, and not changing things up too much,” Taylor said. “I think we’ve worked really hard in these past three years to create a culture and environment where guys can be successful and push each other and grow, on and off the court. I don’t want to mess with that like some coaches do, I just want to keep advancing the program.”

Taylor is not only a coach for the players, but also a role model.

“Coach Taylor is easily approachable, and he always will try to help you with any problems you have,” junior Max Serfozo said.  “From school work to in-game performance. He has helped me become a better person.” 

Players on the team have found appreciation for his personalized coaching. 

“I think the coach’s best quality is how personable he is with everyone on the team. He treats me as a player and as a friend,” senior Rady Kronenberger said. “He makes me the best person I can be by talking with my dad and I about what needs to get done in the future.” 

Taylor believes competition during practice is vital to improving the team.

“We’re all in this to get better. Something that we have always done in practice and continue to do is compete,” Taylor said. “You have to compete, and you have to win. How well you can match up those against you and how smart you can be to get the job done is important.”

 Taylor aims to be a mentor for his players both inside and outside the gym.

“Even in the classroom,  you can compete, having the best GPA possible,” Taylor said.

The team has seen improvement since Taylor took the head coach position, focusing on the team approach. 

“I feel like since coach Taylor has been the coach, the team’s chemistry has improved tremendously,” Kronenberger said.

His team approach is ingrained in practice, in hopes for it to translate into the games.

“Coach always makes sure we are always working as a team, if one of us misses a time for running, we all run again. This leads us to work together because we are no stronger than our weakest link,” Serfozo said. “His approach has helped the team excel, shown by our positive summer league performance.”

Taylor strives to polish his players’ games.

“He really believes in all of his players getting better,” junior Bradley Wooten said. “He shows it by really trying to show guys where he needs their skills to be.”

In his short tenure, Taylor has made a lasting impact on his players.

“He pushes you to your limit and really shows he cares,” senior Dylan Gustafson said.  “He has ingrained himself into all of our lives.” 

Taylor has high expectations for the upcoming season and wants a positive year for his senior’s sake.

“The senior class has been our bread and butter,” said Taylor. “I want to send them off with the best season possible.”

Johnson believes that Taylor has what it takes to bolster the team.

“He has a real passion for the team, and he’s extremely committed,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t be happier to turn the program over to him.”