Tony Taylor is in the fifth season of his second stint – 13th season overall – as an assistant coach for the St. Olaf men’s basketball program in 2025-26. He serves as the program's recruiting and video coordinator and also assists with game and practice planning.
Taylor returned to head coach Dan Kosmoski’s coaching staff for the 2021-22 season after spending the previous year as the head varsity boys’ basketball coach at New Life Academy in Woodbury. The program produced two all-conference players, one honorable mention all-conference player, and five academic all-conference players.
As a member of Kosmoski’s staff from 2011-12 until 2018-19, Taylor helped guide the Oles to a record of 133-83 (.616) and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first-ever berth in 2013-14 and a run to the Sweet 16 – the deepest run in program history – in 2014-15.
St. Olaf also won MIAC Playoff titles in both 2013-14 and 2015-16 and finished in the top two of the conference standings four times in Taylor’s last six seasons on staff during his first stint on the Hill. The Oles appeared in the MIAC Playoffs six of his eight years on staff.
Prior to coming to St. Olaf, Taylor was the head boys’ basketball coach at Windom Area High School for two seasons. He led Windom to its first state tournament appearance in 2010 and was named the Class 3AA Coach of the Year. Prior to that, Taylor was an assistant at Southwest High School in Minneapolis for three seasons.
During his playing days, Taylor played for Tim Miles at NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State University before transferring to Gustavus Adolphus College. He scored 1,853 points in his career at Martin County West High School, where he helped lead the team to its first-ever state tournament appearance, was an all-state selection, and set what was then a state record for most consecutive free throws made (55). He played his high school basketball for his father, Randy Taylor, who is in the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
A graduate of Gustavus, Taylor and his wife, Mehtab, have one daughter, Ruby.
