College Sports Information Directors of America

By Jason O. Boyd, Rocky Mount Telegram

Every time that Renny Taylor came to visit Rocky Mount Academy, he saw something he liked. He also saw the potential for growth.

Taylor, who has served as assistant men's basketball coach at N.C. Wesleyan since 1996 and as sports information director since 1999, will take over the duties of athletic director at the Class 1-A private school. He takes over for Mac Allen, who filled in the spot after longtime legend Benny Alexander retired. Taylor will also serve as the school's boys basketball coach.

Taylor said he first heard about the position when Alexander retired but didn't give it serious consideration until around the men's Final Four basketball tournament. He came to RMA for a series of interviews and meetings and became more and more excited about the chances of further growth athletically at the school.

"When I came in, I didn't think one way or the other," Taylor said. "But then in talking with him and walking around the school, I thought that there were a lot of possibilities here. So when I went down to the Final Four I kept thinking 'This is a good situation.'

"So then I came back and did an all-day interview. I met with all the facility and staff, and I met a lot of students. Then I felt even better about it based on what some of the faculty said, how excited the kids were. Then I met with a parent committee. What was supposed to be an hour meeting lasted about an hour 45 minutes just because of the back and forth we had with each other."

"Every time I came out here to meet with people, I felt that there was so much that could be done here and so many that wanted it done and so many that were willing to jump on the wagon. So I felt really good about that."

Taylor said that making the decision wasn't easy. He was happy where he was, wearing all kinds of different hats from coach to recruiter to media coordinator. He also loved the people he worked with, from staff members to the college athletes. But the more he thought about the position at RMA, the more he liked the idea of making the change.

"Going out on the road and recruiting, just the time on the road, I'm not going to miss," Taylor said. "But yet meeting kids that have a desire to play college basketball and talking with them and those kids being excited that you took the time to see them play, I'm going to miss that."

"I'm going to miss the interaction where you meet a kid for the first time and you say 'I'm Renny Taylor from North Carolina Wesleyan, and I enjoyed watching you play tonight,' and the way that kid looks, that is almost indescribable."

Taylor has recognized the success of programs such as baseball, soccer and basketball at RMA. He also realizes that there's still much more to do. The school wants to build a facility for softball, which began its first season this year, and have full-time facilities for its soccer programs. The biggest challenge will be football, which the school will field for the first time ever.

Mac Allen, who has served as interim AD during the transition from Alexander to Taylor, has done a lot of work with that part of the program, and Taylor feels things are on the right track to getting that season started right. A weight room is already in place and talks are underway for a full-time field, lockerrooms and other amenities.

"I want to make sure that our athletic programs ... not that they are not something to be proud of now, but I want us to be really proud of our athletic programs here," Taylor said. "Just being able to be involved in all of the sports and being able to have a hand in them and helping coaches fill their needs, I think that's a big thing."

"The big thing for me is coaching, it doesn't matter what level. I've always wanted to work with kids. It's a younger group of kids, but I think these kids will work just as hard for me, and I'm looking forward to that. But I think the big thing is just the overall picture of being the athletic director and helping build up the athletic program here."

Taylor said that Allen has done a great job serving as AD and has ensured that the success of the school athletically will continue for years to come. Now it's time to roll up the sleeves and see what else can be done to continue the success at RMA.

"There are a lot of advantages to it," Taylor said. "One, being the athletic director, I want to build some more stuff. I want to be able to look back in 10 years and look at things we've built up, facilities we've built up around here. I loved coaching college, I love the college atmosphere ... but I'm a local guy, and I was always going to stay here."

I'm not the kind of guy that likes to move around, but there are a lot of guys in our profession that want to do that. I'm not one of those. My boys are playing a baseball league that they love being in. I love being around family and friends that I grew up with. This was a way to make a change for what I believe is better than me without moving away. That was real attractive."

Calendar

Important Dates