Dec. 10, 2002
ATLANTA – Venus Taylor, former head coach of Lake City (Fla.) Community College and professional softball player, was named assistant softball coach at Georgia Tech, Yellow Jacket head coach Kate Madden announced Tuesday.
Taylor will serve as the Jackets’ outfield coach and will assist with hitting.
“I am most excited about her playing experience,” said Madden. “She played at the professional level for four years, and great players make great coaches. She brings a great background to Tech, and I am excited to have her on the staff.”
Last season, Taylor guided Lake City to a 47-10 overall record and a No. 9 national ranking in the final National Junior College Athletic Association Top 25 Poll. She was named Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year, as her team captured the league title.
Prior to becoming the head coach at LCCC, Taylor served as an assistant for the 2001 season, helping the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association title.
Taylor also served as an assistant coach at North Florida for the 1999 season.
Prior to making the jump to coaching, Taylor played in the Women’s Professional Softball League from 1997-2000. A two-time all-star, she played with the Carolina Diamonds from 1997-98 and the Tampa Bay Firestix from 1999-2000. Taylor won a league title as a member of the Firestix in ’99.
A standout collegiate player, Taylor graduated from Western Illinois University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in physical education with an emphasis in corporate fitness.
While at WIU, Taylor was named the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year and the school’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1997. She was an all-conference and all-region selection in ’96 and ’97 and set single-season school records in runs scored, stolen bases and hits.
The Jackets open the 2003 season February 8 at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C.
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