Wednesday, June 2, 1999

COACH OF THE YEAR

Taylor took Maryknoll
closer to top level

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

Just a few blocks separate the campuses of Maryknoll and Punahou. But it's a huge chasm between the two schools in terms of athletics.

Mike Taylor hopes he has begun to bridge that gap between the perceived haves and have-nots. In his first season as the Spartans' head girls' basketball coach, Taylor took Maryknoll to within one win of a second straight trip to the state tournament.

For his success in bringing together a young team and new coaching staff, the 27-year-old Taylor was selected the Star-Bulletin's Coach of the Year in girls' basketball.

It was an interesting transition for Taylor, a Punahou graduate and player on the Buffanblu's state championship basketball team in 1990. He had also been on the Punahou varsity girls' staff for three years, with the team winning two state titles (1997-98).

"But my dream was to be a head coach," said Taylor, who attended Punahou since kindergarten. "Being a head coach at my alma mater would be nice, but it wasn't available. Maryknoll offered me the job and I had to take the opportunity.

"It's a different atmosphere here, very small and family-like. I knew it would be a change, but I also knew the players would work hard."

The Spartans didn't disappoint their new coach. Maryknoll finished 8-3 during the regular season, two games behind eventual state champ Kamehameha and a game behind Punahou.

The ILH's second state berth came down to a playoff game between the Spartans and Buffanblu, a game won by Punahou, 38-28. It was bittersweet for Taylor.

"It was like having two teams in the playoffs," he said. "To see everything I had worked on with the Punahou players for three years come right back at me.

"I was happy for the (Punahou) seniors, Estee Okumura and Malia Durand, the two who had been with me for three years. But I was sad for our kids. Punahou has a system that's like a machine. We aren't there yet.

"I loved this team. I didn't expect a season this. It just wasn't enough at the end."

But it's a start. Maryknoll, which doesn't have a campus gym, found an off-campus home this season at Damien. Practices, which had been held on the school's asphalt court, were moved to Kalihi Union Church gym and Damien.

"There are so many distractions with the freeway next to us, and we needed to find a covered area with a floor," said Taylor. "We can't do a lot of aggressive drills on the asphalt. The wind changes shots and our rims aren't breakaways.

"It's not game conditions and that's what you need to give players."

As well as give them expectations.

Taylor said he had anticipated making the state tournament, going so far as to scout potential opponents.

"That's just me, a perfectionist," he said. "I always shoot for the moon. The goal is for us to get back to where basketball once was here."

Maryknoll won the first two state titles in 1977 and '78. Both of those Spartan teams went undefeated during their championship campaigns, the only teams ever to do so.

Taylor said he doesn't know how much longer he'll be at Maryknoll, or even in coaching. He's a father of 6-month-old twins and also teaches third grade at Waialae Elementary School.

"This year has taken a lot out of me," he said. "Running a program is a lot different than being an assistant.

"I'd like to do this for a while. I'm so appreciative that Maryknoll gave me my first chance to accomplish my dream."