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Sam B. Taylor
Biographical details
Born (1898-02-26)February 26, 1898
Doswell, Virginia
Died April 1, 1966(1966-04-01) (aged 68)
Lexington, Kentucky
Playing career
Football
1921–1923 Northwestern
Baseball
1926 Dayton Marcos
Position(s) End (football)
First baseman (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1924 Virginia Normal
1925–1929 Clark (GA)
1931–1943 Prairie View
1945–1948 Virginia Union
1949–1958 Bluefield State
1959–1962 Kentucky State
Basketball
1924–1925 Virginia State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1949–1958 Bluefield State
Head coaching record
Bowls 10–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
1 SIAC (1928)
3 SWAC (1931, 1933)
Sam B. Taylor
First baseman
debut
1926, for the Dayton Marcos
Last appearance
1926, for the Dayton Marcos
Teams
  • Dayton Marcos (1926)

Samuel Brown Taylor (February 26, 1898 – April 1, 1966) was an important American educator, a baseball player in the Negro Leagues, and a college football coach. He coached football at several universities, including Virginia State University, Clark Atlanta University, Prairie View A&M University, Virginia Union University, Bluefield State University, and Kentucky State University. He also coached basketball.

Playing Career

Sam Taylor was born in Doswell, Virginia. He went to Northwestern University. In 1926, he played baseball for the Dayton Marcos team in the Negro Leagues.

Educator and Civil Rights

In 1943, Sam Taylor became the "Supervisor of Negro Education" for the state of Kentucky. This meant he helped manage and improve schools for Black students.

He played a big part in ending segregation in Kentucky's public schools after the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. This important court ruling meant that Black and white students could go to school together.

Coaching Career Highlights

Sam Taylor had a long and successful career coaching college sports. He was known for building strong athletic programs.

Virginia State University

Taylor started his coaching journey at the Virginia Normal School and Industrial Institute. This school is now called Virginia State University. He was their very first men's basketball coach in 1924–1925.

Clark Atlanta University

In 1925, Taylor moved to Atlanta to coach football at Clark College. This school is now known as Clark Atlanta University. He coached there until 1930.

Prairie View A&M University

From 1931 to 1943, Taylor was the head football coach at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. He also started a great track and field program there. His track teams were very successful.

He coached talented athletes like Johnny Marion and Lewis "Jack Rabbit" Smith. These two even competed against the famous Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympic Trials. Sam Taylor was honored for his work and was inducted into the Prairie View Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

Virginia Union University

After World War II, Taylor became the head football and track coach at Virginia Union University in 1945. His former athlete, Lewis "Jack Rabbit" Smith, joined him again at Virginia Union.

In 1948, Taylor's Virginia Union football team won a big game. They defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers 39–18 in the Orange Blossom Classic.

Bluefield State University

In 1949, Taylor became the head football coach at Bluefield State University in Bluefield, West Virginia. He coached there for about ten years, until 1959.

Kentucky State University

From 1959 to 1962, Taylor was the head football coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky. He led the team to a record of 15 wins, 20 losses, and 1 tie.

Even after having hip surgery, which stopped him from coaching football, he continued to coach track. In 1965, he coached one of the fastest quarter-mile runners in the country.

Death and Honors

Sam Taylor passed away in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1966 at the age of 68, after being sick for a while. In 2009, he was honored again when he was inducted into the K-Club Athletic Hall of Fame.

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