Sam B. Taylor

{{short description|American baseball player and football coach}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Sam B. Taylor

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|2|26}}

| birth_place = Doswell, Virginia, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1966|4|1|1898|2|26}}

| death_place = Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_sport1 = Football

| player_years2 = 1921–1923

| player_team2 = Northwestern

| player_sport3 = Baseball

| player_years4 = 1926

| player_team4 = Dayton Marcos

| player_positions = End (football)
First baseman (baseball)

| coach_sport1 = Football

| coach_years2 = 1924

| coach_team2 = Virginia Normal

| coach_years3 = 1925–1929

| coach_team3 = Clark (GA)

| coach_years4 = 1930–1943

| coach_team4 = Prairie View

| coach_years5 = 1945–1948

| coach_team5 = Virginia Union

| coach_years6 = 1949–1958

| coach_team6 = Bluefield State

| coach_years7 = 1959–1961

| coach_team7 = Kentucky State

| coach_sport8 = Basketball

| coach_years9 = 1924–1925

| coach_team9 = Virginia State

| coach_years10 = 1925–1930

| coach_team10 = Clark (GA)

| coach_sport11 = Basketball

| coach_years12 = 1926–1930

| coach_team12 = Clark (GA)

| admin_years1 = 1949–1958

| admin_team1 = Bluefield State

| overall_record =

| bowl_record = 10–6

| tournament_record =

| championships = Football
1 SIAC (1928)
3 SWAC (1931, 1933)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Sam B. Taylor

| image =

| position = First baseman

| bats =

| throws =

| debutleague = Negro league baseball

| debutdate =

| debutyear = 1926

| debutteam = Dayton Marcos

| finaldate =

| finalyear = 1926

| finalteam = Dayton Marcos

| statyear =

| statleague =

| stat1label =

| stat1value =

| stat2label =

| stat2value =

| stat3label =

| stat3value =

| teams =

Dayton Marcos (1926)

}}

Samuel Brown Taylor (February 26, 1898 – April 1, 1966) was an American educator, Negro league baseball player, and college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia State College for Negroes—now known as Virginia State University—in 1925, Clark College—now known as Clark Atlanta University—from 1925 to 1929, Prairie View State Normal & Industrial College—now known as Prairie View A&M University—from 1930 to 1943, Virginia Union University from 1945 to 1948, Bluefield State College—now known as Bluefield State University—from 1948 to 1958, and Kentucky State College—now known as Kentucky State University—from 1959 to 1961.

Playing career

A native of Doswell, Virginia, Taylor attended Northwestern University. He played Negro league baseball for the Dayton Marcos in 1926.{{cite web|url=https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=taylo01sam |title=Sam Taylor |publisher=seamheads.com |date= |access-date=August 16, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/taylosa03.shtml |title=Sam Taylor |publisher=baseball-reference.com |date= |access-date=August 16, 2021}}

Educator

In 1943, Taylor was named the "Supervisor of Negro Education" for the state of Kentucky.[http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/NKAA/subject.php?sub_id=33 University of Kentucky Libraries], Notable Kentucky African Americans Database He was one of the primary educators in the state of Kentucky responsible for de-segregation of public schools after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954.[http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/send-pdf.cgi/Andrews,%20Leigh%20S..pdf?acc_num=miami1114703454#24 Reactions to Brown v The Board of Education], Leigh S. Andrews, 2005

Coaching career

=Virginia State=

Taylor began his coaching career at the Virginia Normal School and Industrial Institute (now known as Virginia State University) as its first men's basketball coach in 1924–25.

=Clark=

In September 1925, Taylor and his new bride, Lullene Perrin, moved to Clark College–now known as Clark Atlanta University–in Atlanta, where Taylor coached football until 1930. He also coached basketball and baseball at Clark.{{cite news |author= |title=Taylor Named Prairie View Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-pittsburgh-courier/155378923/ |newspaper=Pittsburgh Courier |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |date=July 19, 1930 |page=4, section 2 |access-date=September 15, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

=Prairie View=

In 1930, Taylor was hired as head coach at Prairie View State Normal & Industrial College—now known as Prairie View A&M University—in Prairie View, Texas.

=Virginia Union=

Taylor took over the reins as head football coach and track coach at Virginia Union University in 1945 after the war. Once again, Lewis "Jack Rabbit" Smith teamed up with Taylor and ran under the maroon and steel colors of Virginia Union.

In 1948, the Virginia Union football team defeated Jake Gaither's Florida A&M Rattlers in the Orange Blossom Classic, 39–18.

=Bluefield State=

In the summer of 1949, Taylor was hired as the head football coach at Bluefield State College—now known as Bluefield State University—in Bluefield, West Virginia. He coached at Bluefield State until late spring 1959.

=Kentucky State=

Taylor was the 13th head football coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky from 1959 until midway through the 1961 season when Mel Whedbee took charge of the team.{{cite news |last=Benken |first=Tim |title=Lincoln's Reed Sees Sunshine in Gloomy Loss |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/jefferson-city-post-tribune/136985752/ |newspaper=Jefferson City Post-Tribune |location=Jefferson City, Missouri |date=November 1, 1961 |page=10 |access-date=December 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} Hip replacement surgery sidelined Taylor as the football coach, but he continued to coach track. In 1965, Taylor had the fastest quarter mile runner in the country.

Death and honors

After a lengthy illness, Taylor died in Lexington, Kentucky in 1966 at age 68.{{cite news |author= |title=Former CIAA coach Sam Taylor buried |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PGc8AAAAIBAJ&sjid=DCoMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1981,35104321 |work=Baltimore Afro-American |location=Baltimore, Maryland |date=April 16, 1966 |page=17 |access-date=January 9, 2019 |via=Google News }} He was inducted into the K-Club Athletic Hall of Fame October 2009.[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ii/siac/kentucky_state/coaching_records.php Kentucky State University coaching records] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009101552/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ii/siac/kentucky_state/coaching_records.php |date=October 9, 2012 }}

Head coaching record

=Football=

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Virginia Normal Trojans

| conf = Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association

| startyear = 1924

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1924

| name = Virginia Normal

| overall = 5–3–3

| conference = 1–2–3

| confstanding = T–4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Virginia Normal

| overall = 5–3–3

| confrecord = 1–2–3

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Clark Panthers

| conf = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

| startyear = 1925

| endyear = 1929

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1925

| name = Clark

| overall =

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1926

| name = Clark

| overall =

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1927

| name = Clark

| overall = 5–1–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1928

| name = Clark

| overall = 6–1–1

| conference =

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1929

| name = Clark

| overall = 6–2–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Clark

| overall =

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Prairie View Panthers

| conf = Southwestern Athletic Conference

| startyear = 1931

| endyear = 1943

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1930

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 8–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1931

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 9–1

| conference =

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1932

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 6–3–2

| conference = 2–2–1

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1933

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 7–1

| conference =

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1934

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 5–4

| conference = 2–3

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1935

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 4–3–4

| conference = 1–1–4

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1936

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 4–4–2

| conference = 1–3–2

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic, L Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1937

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 7–4

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1938

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 5–2–3

| conference = 2–2–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1939

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 5–2–1

| conference = 3–2–1

| confstanding = T–2nd

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1940

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 6–3

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1941

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 7–1–2

| conference = 4–0–2

| confstanding = 1st{{#tag:ref|Prairie View's 1941 conference title was forfeited after the SWAC ruled at its winter meeting, on December 13, that the Panthers had used an ineligible player, Whiteside.{{cite news |last=Dixon |first=R. E. |title=Prairie View Forfeits S. W. Grid Title for Use Of Ineligible Player |url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth399184/m1/3/zoom/?resolution=3&lat=4892.3430120507555&lon=2090.265111318221 |newspaper=San Antonio Register |location=San Antonio, Texas |date=December 26, 1941 |page=3 |access-date=October 27, 2022 |via=The Portal to Texas History }}|group=n|name=1941forfeit}}

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1942

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 5–2

| conference = 3–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1943

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 6–2–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname = Prairie View

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Prairie View

| overall = 84–35–15

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Virginia Union Panthers

| conf = Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association

| startyear = 1945

| endyear = 1948

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1945

| name = Virginia Union

| overall = 4–4

| conference = 4–3

| confstanding = 7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1946

| name = Virginia Union

| overall = 3–5–1

| conference = 1–5–1

| confstanding = 13th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1947

| name = Virginia Union

| overall = 4–5

| conference = 3–5

| confstanding = 9th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1948

| name = Virginia Union

| overall = 6–5

| conference = 3–5

| confstanding = 10th

| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Virginia Union

| overall = 17–19–1

| confrecord = 11–18–1

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Bluefield State Big Blues

| conf = Colored/Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association

| startyear = 1949

| endyear = 1958

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1949

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 2–5–1

| conference = 1–5–1

| confstanding = 15th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1950

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 6–3–1

| conference = 4–2–1

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1951

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 3–6

| conference = 3–3

| confstanding = 11th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1952

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 1–7

| conference = 1–5

| confstanding = 14th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1953

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 2–7

| conference = 2–5

| confstanding = 15th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1954

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1955

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 7–2–1

| conference = 5–2–1

| confstanding = 9th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1956

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 6–1

| conference = 5–1

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1957

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 6–2

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1958

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 5–2–1

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Bluefield State

| overall = 46–37–4

| confrecord = 35–28–3

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Kentucky State

| conf = Midwest Athletic Association / Midwest Conference

| startyear = 1959

| endyear = 1961

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1959

| name = Kentucky State

| overall = 3–5–1

| conference = 1–1–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1960

| name = Kentucky State

| overall = 2–8

| conference = 0–3

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1961

| name = Kentucky State

| overall = 3–2{{#tag:ref|Taylor served as Kentucky State's head coach for the first five games of the 1961 season before ailing health forced him to hand control over the team over to Mel Whedbee. The Thorobreds finished the season with an overall record of 6–3 with a mark of 1–2 in conference play, placing third in the Midwest Athletic Association.|group=n|name=1961season}}

| conference = 0–1

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Kentucky State

| overall = 8–15–1

| confrecord = 1–5–1