New swimming coach named
Cougar Sports Services
Mark Taylor was named the new head coach of the UH swimming and diving
team Friday.
"Mark has an outstanding record, and we received recommendations from
all over the world, literally," University of Houston athletic director
Dave Maggard said. "He has good international contacts and earned a great
deal of respect in the swimming community here in the United States."
Taylor brings both college and international experience to the job.
He most recently served as head coach of Swim Team Odene 95, a program
in Denmark with more than 3,000 athletes.
Taylor has also coached swimmers at the Olympics and other major international
competitions. He was an assistant coach for Team Denmark, which he coached
at the World Championships in Moscow this spring. He coached four swimmers
at the 2000 Olympics: Camilla Johnson (Sweden), Juan Beltran (Mexico),
Arunas Savickas (Lithuania) and Darius Griglionas (Lithuania).
Pin Lim/The Daily Cougar
The swimming and diving team finally has a new head coach
in Mark Taylor, who was hired to replace former coach Ginger Hurley on
Friday.
He was an assistant coach at Arizona State from 1994-98, and simultaneously
the head coach of Mesa Aquatics, a swimming club in the area. Mesa Aquatics
captured Arizona championships in 1994, 1996 and 1998.
The one thing Taylor does not bring is previous NCAA head coaching experience,
a qualification that was supposed to be a top priority in the search.
Taylor replaces Ginger Hurley, who left the University in April after
being told her contract would not be renewed.
Taylor earned a bachelor's degree in recreation management from Arizona
State in 1998. He has two sons, Troy and Zane, with his wife Lorraine.
