New Mexico State University Athletics

Fresh off of helping author one of the best seasons in the history of NM State men's basketball, Dominique Taylor is set to begin his second season as an assistant coach for the Aggies in 2021-22. 

In early April of 2021, a short time after Greg Heiar was named the 27th head coach in the history of the program, Taylor chose to remain in Las Cruces by joining Heiar's staff.

"Coach Taylor is someone I have known and respected for years," Heiar remarked. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff that is priceless. A proven relationship builder in our industry, Dom has a great energetic personality that is infectious to others. As my first hire as an NCAA Division I head coach, Dom's continued commitment to NM State is a major addition to our program."

Taylor's inaugural season in Las Cruces was a memorable one to say the least as the Aggies made history in a number of ways through the 2021-22 campaign. With Taylor on staff, NM State claimed its fourth regular-season Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular-season title in the last five seasons before punching its ticket to the 2022 NCAA Tournament by securing the WAC Tournament championship.

Once in the field of 68, NM State proceeded to administer one of the tournament's best moments in the opening round. Pitted against #21/21 and fifth-seeded UConn, the Aggies busted batches of brackets around the nation by scoring a 70-63 triumph over the Huskies in Buffalo, N.Y., on Thursday, March 17, 2022. The win was NM State's first in an NCAA Tournament bout since 1993 and snapped the program's 12-game losing skid in the big dance. Though the Aggies' March Madness run was ended by eventual Elite Eight participant Arkansas in the round of 32, NM State closed the books on one of the best seasons in program history with a 27-7 record. 

Taylor worked extensively with the Aggies' backcourt crew, a group which included the likes of 2022 WAC Player of the Year Teddy Allen and All-WAC Second Team choice Jabari Rice. Allen led both NM State and the WAC in scoring en route to securing no fewer than four laurels from the WAC before being named the WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Rice joined Allen on the WAC All-Tournament Team, too, prior to their team's run in the NCAA Tournament. 

Prior to making Las Cruces his home in August of 2021, Taylor had been serving as an assistant men’s basketball coach at MEAC institution Bethune-Cookman University since the start of the 2017-18 season. In Taylor’s four seasons as a part of the Wildcats’ coaching staff, the program recorded a 48-45 overall mark which included a 31-17 showing in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdowns. Through his last few months at Bethune-Cookman, Taylor owned the title of interim head coach after Ryan Ridder accepted the head coaching position at UT-Martin in late March of 2021.

Taylor helped tutor a trio of MEAC major award winners in 2017-18 Player of the Year Brandon Tabb, 2017-18 Defensive Player of the Year Soufiyane Diakite and 2018-19 Defensive Player of the Year Cletrell Pope. With that pair headlining the roster, Bethune-Cookman captured a share of the MEAC regular season title for just the second time in the history of the program.

Taylor moved to Bethune-Cookman following one season as the head men’s basketball coach at Southeastern Illinois Community College. His sole season as the Falcons’ head coach occurred after one year as an assistant coach at Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. Through that year (2015-16), Taylor helped guide the program to a mark of 17-13.

Before joining Chipola’s coaching staff, Taylor linked up with current Tennessee-Martin head coach Ryan Ridder as an assistant coach at Daytona State. Alongside Ridder, Taylor turned Daytona State around in their first season (2013-14), taking a program that had gone only 6-25 the previous season and turning it into a 24-6 powerhouse that won the Mid-Florida Conference title. That year, the Falcons finished the campaign ranked 10th in the NJCAA and all of theoor sophomore student-athletes graduated with their associate’s degrees.

The first NCAA Division I coaching opportunity afforded to Taylor came in 2011-12 when he began a two-year stint at South Alabama as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Jaguars. The Jaguars finished near the top of the Sun Belt Conference during Taylor’s tenure with the team earning consecutive runner-up finishes in the league standings. Taylor had the distinct honor to mentor Sun Belt Player of the Year and NCAA All-American Augustine Rubit of Houston, Texas. The Jaguars saw success on the recruiting trail as well, garnering consecutive top-ranked recruiting classes in the Sun Belt during Taylor’s stint in Mobile, Ala.

Taylor got his start as a coach in the junior college ranks, specifically at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan., where he served on the men’s basketball coaching staff for two seasons beginning in 2009-10. He helped lead the Panthers to a 20-win season in 2009-10 and coached six players that went on to NCAA Division I schools, including Antione Lundy, a 2009-10 NJCAA All-American. 

The 2009-10 Panthers were the top rebounding team in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, including Lundy’s league-leading 13.7 average, and finished tied for third in the KJCCC Eastern Division with a 12-6 mark.

Taylor served as recruiting coordinator and assisted with all aspects of the program, including on-the-court coaching, practice planning, academic progress, travel planning and scheduling. He also was involved with team public relations, fundraising and promotional activities. 

In addition to his coaching duties at NCCC, Taylor was an adjunct faculty member where he taught undergraduate courses in personal training and coaching basketball.

As a player, Taylor suited up for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland Conference. From 2005-08, Taylor was a staple in the Islanders’ lineup and helped lead the team to a trio of 20+ win seasons. With him on their side, the Islanders enjoyed their finest season in program history during the 2006-07 campaign. That year, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi captured the Southland’s regular season title before winning the Southland Conference Tournament and earning the program’s first (and so far its only) bid to the NCAA Tournament.