Below release courtesy of KWU Athletics and KWUCoyotes.com.
Harper Taylor is the new women’s basketball coach at Kansas Wesleyan, but she is not new to the university.
Taylor was an assistant under former Coyote coach Ryan Showman for two seasons before moving on as an assistant at Division II Metro State Denver the last two years.
“I get to go back and continue to build better relationships as a head coach versus an assistant and I’m just really excited to do that,” Taylor said. “It’s a great university that I get to be a part of, and I just can’t wait to build on that.”
Taylor helped KWU win 41 games (32 in the Kansas Conference) during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. She was also a graduate assistant at Division I Texas El Paso during the 2019-20 season.
“First and foremost, her energy,” KWU Athletic Director Miguel Paredes said. “Her familiarity with Kansas Wesleyan and Salina, and she’s a proven leader. Her mission and values align with what we’re doing here, her clear vision of building a culture of excellence and how we can continue the success. We’re not stopping and trying to rebuild but are reloading. Her student-athlete development academically, socially, spiritually was a big plus for me as well. She demonstrated what a confident leader should be – she reminds me of (former Tennessee coach) Pat Summitt in a way.”
“Coach Taylor is a great choice for our new women’s basketball leader,” said Ken Oliver, executive vice president of advancement and university operations. “Her familiarity with our area, our campus and the schools in our region will prove invaluable in continuing our winning tradition. We look forward to seeing her accomplishments.”
Taylor credits Showman for convincing her to stay the course with her career.
“With the Covid pandemic I was kind of in a place where I was really questioning if I should continue being in this profession,” she said. “He showed me the ropes and gave me a lot of grace and showed me how to do things successfully and how to do things with integrity. I would not be where I’m at in my coaching journey if it weren’t for Showman. I feel like everything that I learned from not only him but also Tanya Haave (Metro State coach) at the Division II level has put me in the most successful position to be a head coach.”
Paredes said that became apparent during the search.
“The fact that she’s been at all levels and her experience is what helped set her apart from the other candidates,” he said. “We wanted a person who can see what it takes to have those types of athletes and knows what to look for in the recruiting aspect. Everybody thinks they’re a Division I athlete, if not then at least Division II, and I think Harper has a keen eye. I asked her, ‘what do you think we need to do have a great year?’ She said, ‘we need speed, we need size,’ and she’s right on point.”
Taylor said energy and defense will be hallmarks of her teams.
“Everyone can expect a team that’s going to be really loud because I’m a very communicative person,” she said. “I’m very vocal about what I want and how I want things done. Coyote fans are going to see we have a really loud bench and we’re going to be super loud on the court. And we’re going to get it done on the defensive end. I think I can work with our offense and bring in some recruiting pieces, but our philosophy is going to be built on the defensive end.”
Taylor was a standout athlete at Greeley West High School in Greeley, Colo., averaging 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in her senior year. She began her college career at Nebraska-Kearney then transferred to Hastings (Neb.) for her final three seasons. She helped the Broncos advance to the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship twice and the quarterfinals once.
“She brings the excitement, she brings the discipline, and she brings the drive and the hunger to be successful,” Paredes said.
Taylor will begin her duties June 9.
