The UBC Thunderbirds are pleased to announce that Dave Taylor has been named head coach of the women's basketball team.

Taylor joins the T-Birds after a 19-year run as head coach of the University of Regina Cougars, following a 13-year stint as the team's assistant coach. During his time leading the Cougars, Regina won two Canada West Championships and appeared in the U SPORTS National Championship Game on three occasions.

A two-time Canada West and U SPORTS Coach of the Year, Taylor is one of three active U SPORTS coaches with over 500 career wins and sits top 10 in all-time victories.
 
"UBC was the only job that could draw me away from a great situation in Regina," said Taylor. "I'm thrilled, honoured, and grateful for the chance to coach at a school with the excellence in academics, community and athletics of UBC. The timing was right for our family to make this move and what an opportunity it is!"

Along with his decades of experience, the father of three brings a .745 career winning percentage to Point Grey, the best mark among active Canada West head coaches.

"We are very excited to bring in such an experienced coach with a proven record of consistent success in Canada West," said Kavie Toor, Managing Director of UBC Athletics and Recreation. "Not only that, but Dave brings a calm demeanour and positive outlook that make him a joy to work with and an asset to our culture.
 
"One thing I especially appreciate is his holistic approach to coaching, where it's clear he's not only trying to get the most out of his athletes on the court, but also set them up to thrive as people. I'm looking forward to seeing Dave put down roots here and expect he'll be leading this program for many years to come."



Taylor is replacing Isabel Ormond, who left UBC after two seasons to return to her hometown of Hamilton, Ontario and coach at her alma mater McMaster University, where she was a standout player and team captain.

"The Thunderbirds had a great season last year and I think my experience allows me to come in and adapt to them and what was working," mused Taylor. "We will build from that base together. As a former educator, my emphasis on the academic side will fit in perfectly with a prestigious school like UBC."
 
Prior to pursuing coaching, Taylor graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Education. Set on a career in teaching, he began his path toward becoming a full-time coach thanks to a chance encounter during a game of pickup basketball.
 
Then a young substitute teacher working wherever the opportunity arose in his hometown of Regina, Taylor was playing in a pickup game one Saturday with some other teachers when one of them mentioned that Robert Usher Collegiate was looking for a new women's basketball head coach.
 
Taylor had only coached youth basketball at that point, but thought it sounded like a fun idea, and a possible foot in the door as he searched for a permanent teaching position. He called up the school's principal Monday morning and volunteered to lead the program, while still working as a sub throughout the city.
 
That was the beginning of his 33-year, and counting, coaching journey. He would eventually move to Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, the site of the fateful pickup game, when a full-time teaching opportunity came up there. Taylor then led their women's basketball team to two provincial championships in his 13 years on the bench.
 

 
At the same time, Taylor began volunteering with the women's basketball program at the University of Regina. Ever the self-creator, the young teacher simply knocked on the door of then head coach Christine Stapleton and offered to help out the Cougars with whatever needed doing.
 
This led to taking on some assistant coaching duties in the offseason when the primary assistants were away, then a regular role as an assistant with the team, before he became the lead assistant under new head coach Jeff Speedy.
 
When Speedy moved on after four seasons, there was no question that Taylor was the man to succeed him. He was quickly named Cougars head coach and led the team on a consistently successful 19-year run that saw them post a winning record in all but two of those seasons.
 
Taylor was named both Canada West and CIS (now U SPORTS) Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 campaign that saw him steer the Cougars to a perfect 20-0 conference record. He won both awards again in 2022-23 after the Cougars improved by nine wins from the year before to finish the regular season at 17-3.

After also earning a master's degree in Leadership Studies while coaching full-time, Taylor leaves Regina with the most regular season and playoff wins in program history by a wide margin. His career winning percentage is nearly 100 points higher than any other Cougars women's basketball coach.
 

 
"I believe in an athlete-driven program that prioritizes the athlete experience and the development of the complete student-athlete," concluded Taylor. "To succeed today as a coach, giving the athletes the 'why' is critical. To chase excellence, it has to be together. Watching the UBC team play last year their style fits how I like to coach."
 
The Thunderbirds are coming off of a very strong 18-2 season in 2024-25, playing in the Canada West Championship Game and for U SPORTS Bronze. The T-Birds' only regular season and Canada West playoff losses were to eventual conference and national champion Saskatchewan. With most key veterans returning, the expectations will be high for Taylor's first season on the Birds' bench.
 
The Regina native comes to Vancouver with his wife, Jennifer, and their three kids, Anna, Hayden, and Reese. He officially takes over as head coach on July 14th.