Western Illinois graduate and Moline, Ill., native, Venus Taylor has had an immediate impact on the Bradley softball program, leading the Braves to their most successful campaign since 1995.
During Taylor’s first season, Bradley had school records for doubles and fielding percentage, while boasting the highest team batting average since 2000. The Braves 29-29 overall record marked the first time Bradley posted a season with a .500 record since finishing 35-20-1 record in 1995.
Bradley had arguably its best season offensively in Taylor’s first year. Laura Harms led the Missouri Valley Conference with 73 hits, while Brittany Mynsberge drove in a Valley season record 55 runs in 2004.
Harms earned first-team All-Region and All-Valley honors and was also named Bradley’s B-Club Most Outstanding Female Athlete. In addition, Harms was drafted by the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut of National Pro Fastpitch last winter and teamed with Taylor to help lead the Juggernaut to the title.
The eighth coach in program history, Taylor has a 76-39 (661) career head coaching record overall. She has helped teams to a combined 187-72 (.722) record as a head and assistant coach. Taylor took over the reigns of the Bradley program in July of 2003 after one year stint as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech.
She helped the Yellow Jackets to a 35-25 overall record in 2003, including a 2-2 mark in the NCAA Tournament. Venus worked with the outfielders at Georgia Tech and also assisted with recruiting and hitting.
Prior to Georgia Tech, Taylor was head coach at Lake City Community College in Lake City, Fla., where her team finished the 2002 season with a 47-10 record and was ranked ninth in the final National Junior College Athletic Association Top 25 Poll. She was named the Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year, as her team captured the league title.
“We could not be more pleased with the overall effect that Venus delivered to our program in her first year,” Bradley Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh said. “She brought to BU a strong background of success as both a player and coach and she very capably demonstrated that she possesses the overall ingredients necessary to maximize the capabilities of our student-athletes. From hiring a top flight assistant in Tarrah Beyster and establishing a “half full” mentality with our team to excellent results in recruiting and within the community, Venus’ contributions have been far and wide since her arrival. In turn, we eagerly anticipate Coach Taylor continuing to develop our program into one that will consistently rank within the upper echelon of the Missouri Valley Conference, in our annual pursuit of the Valley’s automatic bid and beyond.”
Taylor is a six-year veteran of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch League. A starter for the 1999 Tampa Bay Firestix and the 2004 New York/New Jersey Juggernaut she helped both team’s to league championships. She will be playing this summer for the newly formed Chicago Bandits. A two-time all-star, she ranks among the WPF career leaders in at bats, hits, runs, games played and total bases.
Taylor graduated from Western Illinois in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in physical education with an emphasis in corporate fitness. While in Macomb, Ill., Venus earned all-conference honors twice and was tabbed the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year in 1997. Named Western Illinois’ Female Athlete of the Year in 1997, she was also selected all-region in 1996 and 1997 and was the Westerwinds’ team MVP both years.
She still holds the WIU season record for hits (68), runs (50) and stolen bases (47). Taylor also owns the Western Illinois career records for runs (122) and ranks second in school history with 63 stolen bases.
A 1993 graduate of Orion (Ill.) High School, Taylor was recently inducted into the school’s hall of fame. She is engaged to fiance Tavian Banks.