K-State Athletics Update*

Gene Taylor was named the Director of Athletics at K-State in April 2017, and in almost six years under his leadership, the Wildcats have recorded championship performances on the field and in the classroom, in addition to continued fundraising success and immediately improving the facility infrastructure to enhance the experience of all Wildcat student-athletes.
  
Highlighting Taylor’s tenure competitively has been back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor Women’s Track and Field championships, four football bowl appearances, a Big 12 Championship in football and a Big 12 Championship and Elite 8 appearance from the men’s basketball team, while Taylor and staff fundraised and have begun to implement a department-wide facility master plan that will benefit all Wildcat teams.

Taylor’s strategic plan for the department places an emphasis on the student-athlete experience, while his leadership helped navigate the COVID-19 crisis, in addition to enhancing the department’s already-strong diversity and inclusion program, has been well documented.

Serving as Deputy Athletic Director at Iowa from 2014 – 2017 after having a very successful run at North Dakota State and rising through the ranks over 15 years at Navy, Taylor started his career in Athletics at Arizona State and SMU.  

Taylor and his wife Cathy, have one daughter, Casey, and a son, Jared.