Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about Well the names have all changed since you hung around But those dreams have remained and they've turned around Who'd have thought they'd lead ya Back here where we need ya John Sebastian, Welcome Back (1976) When Tim Taylor was a young boy, "Welcome Back, Kotter" was a popular sitcom about a teacher who returns to his alma mater to teach a group of struggling students nicknamed Sweat- hogs. Taylor worked on Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan's staff from 2000-05, serving as the re- cruiting coordinator, and returned in 2009-11 as the associate head coach. In his time at Virginia, Taylor was recognized as one of the top assistant coaches in the country. During his tenures, the Cavaliers made five NCAA Tournament appearances and signed back- to-back top-15 recruiting classes. Posting an overall record of just barely over .500 (65-61) and a sub-.500 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play (27-39) over the last four seasons, it's clear the names have changed but those dreams have remained unfulfilled, and Taylor is back where he was needed at UVA. "I've always been a Virginia fan," Taylor said. "It's exciting and I think we've got a great group of kids. You get excited about Virginia basketball, and I'm excited to work with this staff and these kids to see what we can do help them get better on and off the court." Taylor has been serving as the principal at William Wetsel Middle School in Madison, Va., but after forgoing other offers to return to the game since 2012, it was the call from Joanne Boyle that he couldn't resist. "I was not looking to get back in," he said. "I was in a really good situation, and over the last four years BEHIND THE SCENES WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT COACH TIM TAYLOR Taylor coached at Virginia from 2000-05 and 2009-11 before returning to the Cavaliers' coaching staff in June. PHOTO COURTESY UVA