Fred Taylor Hall of Fame NBA

Fred Taylor was the architect of the greatest era in Ohio State basketball history and one of the most respected figures in the collegiate game. Taylor is celebrated exclusively for his 18-season tenure as the head coach of the Buckeyes, where he became the first coach in NCAA history to lead a team to three consecutive Final Four appearances (1960–1962). Taylor was a master recruiter and tactician who emphasized fundamentals, conditioning, and unselfish play.

His 1960 squad, featuring future Hall of Famers Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek (as well as a young reserve named Bobby Knight), is widely considered one of the most dominant teams in the history of the sport, winning the National Championship with an average margin of victory of nearly 20 points. For his extraordinary leadership and three-decade commitment to the game, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.

Taylor' Awards & Records

• NCAA Division I (1960)
• 4× NCAA Division I Regional—Final Four (1960–1962, 1968)
• 7× Big Ten (1960–1964, 1968, 1971)
• 2 Henry Iba Award (1961, 1962)
• Only Big Ten coach to win five consecutive conference titles (1960–1964)
• Inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame (2006)

NBA Teams

Ohio State (1958–1976)