Breeden to succced Taylor

Former Madison County High School assistant boys basketball coach Ben Breeden is taking over the reins as head coach.

The Madison County School Board voted Monday for Breeden to replace former head coach Tim Taylor, who announced his departure from the MCHS program last month. It was not immediately clear if Breeden will also succeed Taylor as the head MCHS softball coach—officials didn’t specifically say this at the May 13 meeting Monday and were unavailable for comment May 14.

Taylor – who recently accepted a position as a University of Virginia women’s basketball team associate head coach – endorsed Breeden as his successor during an appearance on “Varsity Lights with Jerry Miller,” a Charlottesville television station’s sports talk show.

Breeden – a Madison County resident who teaches at Madison Primary School – played on the MCHS 1996 state runner-up basketball squad as a shooting guard.

Taylor joined Madison County High School’s boys basketball team as its head coach in 2007, leading the team to a 15-10 record during the 2007-2008 season. This past season, Taylor and the Mountaineers finished 28-1, with the only loss coming in the state semi-finals. Taylor – a 1984 MCHS graduate – also served as coach of Madison County’s 13-6 softball team this year.

Last month, Superintendent Brenda Tanner told The Eagle that MCHS Athletic Director Phil Warren had sent an e-mail advising staff members that the head basketball coach position was available.

The school board voted to unanimously approve Breeden’s appointment during its regularly scheduled July 13 meeting. Taylor’s wife, Tonya Taylor, is a member of the school board and MCHS assistant boys basketball coach Jeff Early is the school board’s chairman.