Saint Joseph High School Appoints Mark Taylor '83 as Head Basketball Coach

Saint Joseph High School is excited to announce the appointment of Mark Taylor ‘83 as head basketball coach. 

A standout student-athlete at Saint Joe's in the early 1980s, Taylor originally coached his alma mater to two Greater Middlesex Conference championships, two NJSIAA Non-Public section titles and seven division crowns from 1997 to 2006.

“This is an exciting day for Saint Joseph High School as we welcome home one of the most successful student-athletes and coaches in school history,” Saint Joseph President John G. Nolan, Jr. P’09 said. “For three decades, Mark Taylor has built championship programs on and off the basketball court. His commitment to developing a well-rounded student-athlete experience, including forming successful young men in faith, leadership, academics and basketball make Mark a perfect fit for our culture. I look forward to watching our program return to prominence next season.”

During his first stint at the helm of the program, Taylor developed Jay Williams ‘99 and Andrew Bynum ‘05 into McDonald’s High School All-Americans. Williams was the National High School Player of the Year in 1999 before attending Duke University and was later selected No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2002 NBA Draft. Bynum was drafted out of Saint Joe’s No. 10 overall in the 2005 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Taylor’s teams have produced eight NBA draft picks, including two NBA Draft Lottery selections (top 4 picks) and over 100 NCAA Division I players.

“I am very excited to be back home where it all started for me,” Taylor said. “Not only did I begin my coaching career here, but this is where I started my life journey as a student in the 1980s. I'm excited about the challenge and will work tirelessly to build us back to where we were when I left in 2006, a perennial powerhouse in Middlesex County.”

After leaving Saint Joe’s following the 2006 season, Taylor had a five year stint at Ridge High School that included one Somerset County title and some of the best years in program history.  Taylor was named head coach at St. Benedict’s Prep ahead of the 2011 season. In 14 years as head coach of the Grey Bees, he helped build the program into a national powerhouse, winning nine NJSIAA Prep A state championships, and earning five National Prep Championship tournament invitations. He was inducted into the New Jersey Basketball Hall of Honor in 2023.

“Mark Taylor’s success in the New Jersey high school basketball landscape has been second to none over the past 28 years,” Saint Joseph Director of Athletics Bill Tracy said. “We are excited to welcome yet another hall of fame caliber coach to the Saint Joseph Athletics Department. More importantly, I am confident that Coach Taylor’s focus on forming successful young men will have a positive impact on the student-athlete experience at Saint Joseph High School. We welcome him back with open arms and now set our sights on bringing trophies back to Maglio Gymnasium.”

A 2001 Saint Joseph Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Taylor earned All-American honors on the soccer pitch and All-State honors on the hardwood. His basketball success led him to a collegiate career at Assumption College (1983-1984 season), then Fordham University (1984-1988)

“I had some great times here as a player and coach,” Taylor said. “To this day, I think about my time on campus and the memories I shared with my teammates. Coming home to Saint Joe’s is exciting to me. I am returning to Saint Joe’s to make the program I grew up in great, not only in wins and losses, but in the approach in how we handle ourselves on and off the court. The school changed a lot since I coached and played, but one thing remains the same - the commitment to fielding championship programs on and off the floor. I look forward to getting back to work and to bringing excitement back to our program.

Outside of coaching, Taylor is an entrepreneur with a history of building successful businesses across many industries. He holds a business degree in finance management from Fordham University and a masters certificate in Christian Ministries from Liberty University.

Taylor resides in Basking Ridge with his wife Tammy. The couple have five sons: Ryan, Matthew, Michael, Daniel and George.