By Jason O. Boyd, Rocky Mount Telegram
Every time that Renny Taylor came to visit Rocky Mount
Academy, he saw something he liked. He also saw the
potential for growth.
Taylor, who has served as assistant men's basketball
coach at N.C. Wesleyan since 1996 and as sports
information director since 1999, will take over the
duties of athletic director at the Class 1-A private
school. He takes over for Mac Allen, who filled in the
spot after longtime legend Benny Alexander retired.
Taylor will also serve as the school's boys basketball
coach.
Taylor said he first heard about the position when
Alexander retired but didn't give it serious
consideration until around the men's Final Four
basketball tournament. He came to RMA for a series of
interviews and meetings and became more and more
excited about the chances of further growth
athletically at the school.
"When I came in, I didn't think one way or the other,"
Taylor said. "But then in talking with him and walking
around the school, I thought that there were a lot of
possibilities here. So when I went down to the Final
Four I kept thinking 'This is a good situation.'
"So then I came back and did an all-day interview. I
met with all the facility and staff, and I met a lot
of students. Then I felt even better about it based on
what some of the faculty said, how excited the kids
were. Then I met with a parent committee. What was
supposed to be an hour meeting lasted about an hour
and 45 minutes just because of the back and forth we
had with each other.
"Every time I came out here to meet with people, I
felt that there was so much that could be done here
and so many that wanted it done and so many that were
willing to jump on the wagon. So I felt really good
about that."
Taylor said that making the decision wasn't easy. He
was happy where he was, wearing all kinds of different
hats from coach to recruiter to media coordinator. He
also loved the people he worked with, from staff
members to the college athletes. But the more he
thought about the position at RMA, the more he liked
the idea of making the change.
"Going out on the road and recruiting, just the time
on the road, I'm not going to miss," Taylor said. "But
yet meeting kids that have a desire to play college
basketball and talking with them and those kids being
excited that you took the time to see them play, I'm
going to miss that.
"I'm going to miss the interaction where you meet a
kid for the first time and you say 'I'm Renny Taylor
from North Carolina Wesleyan, and I enjoyed watching
you play tonight,' and the way that kid looks, that is
almost indescribable."
Taylor has recognized the success of programs such as
baseball, soccer and basketball at RMA. He also
realizes that there's still much more to do. The
school wants to build a facility for softball, which
began its first season this year, and have full-time
facilities for its soccer programs. The biggest
challenge will be football, which the school will
field for the first time ever.
Mac Allen, who has served as interim AD during the
transition from Alexander to Taylor, has done a lot of
work with that part of the program, and Taylor feels
things are on the right track to getting that season
started right. A weight room is already in place and
talks are underway for a full-time field, lockerrooms
and other amenities.
"I want to make sure that our athletic programs ...
not that they are not something to be proud of now,
but I want us to be really proud of our athletic
programs here," Taylor said. "Just being able to be
involved in all of the sports and being able to have a
hand in them and helping coaches fill their needs, I
think that's a big thing.
"The big thing for me is coaching, it doesn't matter
what level. I've always wanted to work with kids. It's
a younger group of kids, but I think these kids will
work just as hard for me, and I'm looking forward to
that. But I think the big thing is just the overall
picture of being the athletic director and helping
build up the athletic program here."
Taylor said that Allen has done a great job serving as
AD and has ensured that the success of the school
athletically will continue for years to come. Now it's
time to roll up the sleeves and see what else can be
done to continue the success at RMA.
"There are a lot of advantages to it," Taylor said.
"One, being the athletic director, I want to build
some more stuff. I want to be able to look back in 10
years and look at things we've built up, facilities
we've built up around here. I loved coaching college,
I love the college atmosphere ... but I'm a local guy,
and I was always going to stay here.
"I'm not the kind of guy that likes to move around,
but there are a lot of guys in our profession that
want to do that. I'm not one of those. My boys are
playing a baseball league that they love being in. I
love being around family and friends that I grew up
with. This was a way to make a change for what I
believe is better than me without moving away. That
was real attractive."