After a month and a half-search, the Trojans men’s basketball team has found their future coach.
On Apr. 24, Taylor Athletics announced Austin Peters as the next head coach of men’s basketball via their website.
Peters played at the guard position at Olivet Nazarene University and was a two-time All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) player, graduating in 2015.
His collegiate coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Valparaiso University, where he earned his master’s degree, before becoming an assistant coach at Shenandoah University between Oct. 2017 and Aug. 2020.
After his stop in Virginia, Peters returned to his alma mater and stayed on the Tigers coaching staff for two seasons before taking an assistant coaching position at Arizona Christian University (ACU) for a two-year stint before accepting the head coaching position at Taylor.
In a press release from Taylor Athletics, Kyle Gould, the director of intercollegiate athletics, said, “We wanted a coach who was passionate in their personal faith with a strong desire to disciple young men. We also sought a coach who has experience in successful programs with a proven track record of recruiting. Austin fits all of that while reflecting Taylor's mission perfectly.”
At every stop, Peters has been a part of nothing but success. While at Valparaiso, the Beacons won two conference titles in the Horizon League and made the NIT championship in 2017. With the Tigers at Olivet Nazarene, over two years they finished a total of 46-9 and won two CCAC titles. Over the last two seasons, Peters has helped the ACU Firestorm reach back-to-back NAIA Tournament appearances, reaching the Fab Four during the 2022-23 season.
Last season, the Firestorm’s offense averaged 83.4 points per game (39th in the NAIA) while shooting 50.1% from the floor (tied for 15th in the NAIA) and 38.4 percent from the three (11th in the NAIA). ACU went 25-8 (10-4), won the Golden State Athletic Conference and made it to the NAIA National Championship where they were bounced from the tournament in the round of 16 by Taylor’s arch-nemesis, Indiana Wesleyan. ACU closed the year ranked No. 18 in the nation.
Peters has already faced some Crossroads League competition with games against Huntington, Grace and IWU over the last two seasons and has received much praise from his colleagues and former staff members, with many leaving glowing reviews of his work ethic and team-building.
He’ll look to change the narrative around a Taylor team that finished last season 11-18 (5-13), had their last winning season in 2019-20, last made the NAIA Tournament in the 2016-17 season and has not made the Crossroads League Championship since the 2012-13 season.
In a quote from Taylor’s press release, Peters said he and his wife Emily are, “extremely blessed to have this opportunity to lead the Taylor men's basketball program. This is a dream opportunity for us to be a part of an institution so deeply devoted to discipling student-athletes.”
