Gary Taylor is in his third season as Auburn’s head swimming and diving coach. Taylor came to Auburn from North Carolina State where he spent the previous six seasons, including the last two as associate head coach.
“It has been a goal and aspiration of mine to be a head coach in the SEC,” Taylor said. “The opportunity to lead the Auburn program is certainly a dream for me. I’m really excited to begin working with the student-athletes, getting my hands dirty and doing everything I can on a daily basis to develop this program into a team that performs at the level everyone expects.”
Last year, under Taylor’s leadership, Auburn’s men’s and women’s teams both went 5-2 in dual meets. At the SEC Championships, the women won three titles and set SEC records in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays en route to a fifth-place finish. The men placed eighth with a number of Tigers swimming top 10 all-time performances in program history. Though there were no NCAA Championships, Auburn had 19 receive CSCAA All-American honors (18 women, 11 men)
In Taylor’s first season on the Plains, he helped guide the Auburn women to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The women’s team featured nine CSCAA All-Americans and three SEC titles – Erin Falconer in the 200 free, Aly Tetzloff in the 100 backstroke and the winning 400 freestyle relay team. On the men’s side, Santiago Grassi earned All-American honors in the 100 butterfly at the NCAA Championships.
Prior to Auburn, Taylor’s primary responsibility with the NC State program was working with the distance freestyle events and stroke aspects and assisting with recruiting responsibilities. In six seasons, he coached 11 swimmers to NC State school records and 97 to all-time top 10 performances.
Taylor played a vital part in guiding the NC State men to four-straight ACC Championship titles and three consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including top-four finishes in each of the last three years. In addition, while Taylor was at NC State, the Wolfpack women were crowned conference champions in 2017, tabbing its first conference title since 1980. The women’s team also achieved its highest NCAA finish in program history, placing seventh in 2017.
In 2017-18, Taylor’s final season at NC State, his distance group was the only in Division I to have a male and female finish in top three of 1650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships, including NCAA men’s champion Anton Ipsen. The NC State men earned a fourth-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships, winning a program-best five NCAA titles. The women finished 18th, which included three top-16 finishes in the 1650 free.
Ipsen was named the 2018 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year as he earned All-America honors in the 500 free and All-America honorable mention honors in the 400 IM to go along with his 1650 free title. He was an ACC Champion in the 1650 free, 500 free, 400 IM and 800 free relay.
During the 2016-17 season, Taylor coached four athletes to the men's and women's NCAA Championships where they earned seven total All-America honors. At the ACC Championships, he led Ipsen to his third-straight title in the 500 free and a runner-up finish in the 1650 free. Adam Linker also tabbed All-ACC honors in the 500 and 1650 free events. On the women's side, Taylor helped Hannah Moore to All-ACC honors in the 500 free and 400 IM and Rachel Muller to a third place finish in the 1650 free.
In the 2015-16 season Taylor helped to lead Ipsen to ACC titles and All-America honors in the 500 and 1650 free for the second-straight season, as well as a berth to the 2016 Olympic Games in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle. Linker additionally earned the first All-America honors of his career in the 500 and 1650 free at the 2016 NCAA Championship.
Taylor also played a part in the development of recent graduate Christian McCurdy and Justin Ress's successful rookie season. McCurdy was a three-time ACC Champion and All-American during his career and Ress was named the 2016 ACC Male Freshman of the Year. Ipsen tabbed the mention in 2015, marking the second-straight year a Wolfpack swimmer earned the honor.
On the women's side Taylor helped the Pack create program history in the 2015-16 season as the team placed second at the ACC Championship and ninth at NCAAs. This marked the highest conference and national finish since 1982. In her first semester with the Wolfpack sophomore Moore earned All-ACC and All-America honors in three events while senior transfer Shelly Craddock earned the first All-America honor of her career as a member of the 12th-place 800 free relay. She also helped the relay squad place second at ACCs. Additionally, Rachel Muller wrapped up the most successful season of her career at NC State as she placed third in the 1650 free at the conference championship and collected four All-America honors from her second trip to NCAAs.
In his third season at NC State, Taylor guided freshman Ipsen to a sweep in the distance freestyle events at the ACC Championships, as Ipsen won the 500 and 1650 free. For his performance at the conference championships, Ipsen was named ACC Male Freshman of the Year. Taylor also saw Ipsen collect All-America honors in both events, as he finished fifth in the 1650 and 10thin the 500 to set school records. Under his tutelage, Taylor also saw Linker earn an invite to the USA Swimming Open Water Select Camp- an exclusive camp which only 24 swimmers around the country are invited to participate in.
Taylor's second season saw Austin Snyder earn All-ACC accolades in the 1650 free, as he finished second overall with a time of 15:09.06, the second best time in school history. Taylor was also instrumental in helping freshman Linker earn a top-five finish at the ACC Championships with a time of 15:14.02 and the third fastest time in the history of the program.
In Taylor's first season with the program, Snyder and Brandon Kingston earned NCAA `B' Standards in the 1650 freestyle event. Snyder's time of 15:12.16 in the ACC Championships was the second best time in school history. Taylor also assisted in signing a 23-member recruiting class that features athletes from around the globe.
Prior to joining the NC State staff, Taylor spent the previous four years as the distance coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State. The distance program at Florida State flourished under Taylor's tutelage as eight school records were broken during his stint with the program, and 43 all-time top-10 marks were achieved.
Taylor guided four athletes to individual crowns at the ACC Championships while at Florida State, including Juan Sequera, who was named Freshman of the Year in 2012, and Mateo DeAngulo, who took home Swimmer of the Year and Performer of the Championships honors. Taylor guided seven individuals to the NCAA Championships over the course of his four seasons, including DeAngulo, who earned first team All-America honors in 2012.
Aside from coaching the distance program, Taylor was also a valuable recruiter for the Seminoles, and played a key role in signing several top national recruits, as well as top classes. Last season's incoming class at Florida State was ranked No. 19 in the country.
Prior to taking the reigns of the distance program at Florida State, Taylor spent three years coaching for the Dynamo Swim Club in Atlanta, Ga. He coached multiple age sectional and state record holders, as well as age group sectional and state champions. He was named the Georgia Age Group Coach of the Year in 2007.
Before coaching with the Dynamo, Taylor spent six years with the Twin Cities Swim Team. He was the lead site coach in Minnetonka, Minn., and gained experience in both the business and coaching aspects of the sport through the program.
Taylor was a former student-athlete at the University of Minnesota, and was a member of the 1998 Big Ten Championship swimming team. He graduated in 2001 with a B.S. in sport management.
Taylor is married to the former Amy Mutarelli of Ocala, Fla. She is an Auburn graduate.
What others are saying about Gary Taylor...
Braden Holloway, head coach, NC State
"Gary is an exceptionally hungry and determined coach. He is always a student of the sport and always one to share ideas, and that is the beauty of Gary. He is constantly exploring how to make athletes better. He is a very professional and loyal individual to his colleagues, friends and family.
"Gary has been very instrumental in the rise of our program at NC State. He is a great coach and a great friend and I know he will do big things at Auburn. It is absolutely a great fit for Gary."
Kelly Kremer, head coach, Minnesota
"I can't imagine a better hire. Gary has paid his dues and he has been waiting for the right opportunity. I'm really happy that he found it in Auburn."