MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama basketball coach Ronnie Arrow announced staff promotions Thursday for the 2009-10 season, elevating assistant Chuck Taylor to associate head coach and assistant Michael Floyd to first assistant coach.
The moves fill the vacancy created earlier this year when former associate head coach Andy Helton left the Jaguars to become head coach at Eastern New Mexico.
Taylor Brings Junior College and Sun Belt Experience
Taylor joined the South Alabama staff in 2007. Before arriving in Mobile, he spent one season at North Texas, where the Mean Green won the Sun Belt Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his stint at North Texas, Taylor was head coach at Richland College in Texas, where his Thunderducks team went 24-8.
Floyd Returns to His Hometown Program
Floyd, a Mobile native, lettered for two seasons at South Alabama under Arrow from 1994 to 1996.
He later served as head coach at Alabama Southern Community College, guiding the team to an 18-12 record in the 2005-06 season. Floyd then spent a season on Arrow’s staff at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi before returning to Mobile with Arrow in 2007.
Arrow on the Promotions
Arrow credited both assistants with the program’s progress over the past several seasons.
“For what we’ve been able to accomplish as a program the last few years, I feel really good about promoting Chuck and Michael,” Arrow said. “They are not only good x’s-and-o’s coaches but they have been able to bring the players along and maximize their potential. Their efforts have been very much appreciated and noticed.”
Season Opens in November
South Alabama will play an exhibition game against West Florida on Nov. 5, with tipoff time to be determined.
The Jaguars open the regular season Nov. 13 against Houston Baptist in the Rice Basketball Challenge, hosted by Rice in Houston. South Alabama competes in the Sun Belt Conference and plays its home games at the Mitchell Center.
