Late coach Bill Taylor and 1998-99 SWCC men’s basketball team inducted into Hall of Fame

CRESTON – The late Bill Taylor, head men’s basketball coach from 1993-2002 as well as SWCC faculty for 28 years, and his 1998-1999 team were inducted into SWCC’s Hall of Fame Friday night during halftime of the game against Ellsworth CC.

Coach Taylor had a .684 winning percentage (134-62). Additionally, Taylor was named NJCAA District 4 Division II Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year and Region XI Division II Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 1999.

Former Southwestern head coach and current coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons Steve Forbes shared his memories of coach Taylor from a video.

“He was a good person and a hard worker,” Forbes said. “If you want to be known for something in your life, if you want to leave a legacy when we leave this world, be known as a hard worker and a good person. That was the Bill Taylor I knew and respected. Bill dedicated his life helping young people turn their dreams into reality.”

Those that knew Taylor could attest that while he was a great basketball coach, he was perhaps even a better husband and father.

“His most impressive quality to me was the fact he never put his professional life ahead of his family,” Forbes said. “He made the decision to give up a promising coaching career to help Joni raise Colby and Jenna and be an active participant in their lives.”

Jenna Taylor, a current forward for Simpson women’s basketball, found the outpouring of support from both her father’s former players and the community as a whole special.

“It’s really special to see all of his old players back here,” Taylor said. “People coming out from the community, that’s really special too.”

The 1998-1999 Spartans were the first in Southwestern history to make a national tournament appearance in school history. SWCC finished seventh at the tournament and 25-11 during the season.

Members of the team included Justin Daggett of Winterset; Mike Goodale of Diagonal; Ali Hayes of Kansas City, Missouri; Terrance Jackson of Omaha, Nebraska; Key Kain of Des Moines; Will Lacy of Kansas City, Missouri; Joe Maggett of Omaha, Nebraska; Darran Miller of Audubon; Guy Pierre-Antoine of Miramar, Florida; Damian Rogers of Rapid City, South Dakota; Matt Sporcic of Omaha, Nebraska; TJ Tassell of Lone Rock; Karl Terrones of Gilbert; Jeremiah Ubben of Pleasant Hill; Brian Werner of Syracuse, Nebraska; and Phillip Wilson of Kansas City, Missouri.

Tassel, Goodale, Lacy, Sporcic, Ubben, Werner, student coach Jim Peterson and Kain were those present at the halftime induction.

TJ Tassell, who went to Diagonal, was a shooting guard for SWCC from 1998 to 2000 handled speaking duties during the halftime ceremony.

“I remember one game at Ellsworth, where, late in the game Coach Taylor and our team didn’t agree with the referee’s call or calls,” Tassell said. “Coach went out on the court, grabbed the game ball, slammed it on the floor so hard it hit the ceiling with less than a minute to play. We didn’t win. He would receive a technical and also tossed out of this game.”

Tassell also fondly remembers being on the 1998-99 team with fellow Diagonal Maroon Mike Goodale.

“Reuniting, living, playing with and fighting for the same position with my childhood best friend, Mike Goodale, are just a few of the memories that come to mind,” Tassell said.

Opportunities such as playing with a best friend such as Goodale or making new friends and new memories will always be present for TJ.

“Coach took a chance on each and every one of us by recruiting us and asking us to be part of his team,” Tassell said. “Thank you Coach Taylor and Southwestern Community College for all your efforts, especially education on and off the court. We miss you coach until we meet again.”