Prep talk: Derrick Taylor continues his coaching magic at Blair
Derrick Taylor won four City Section titles as basketball coach at Taft High. He won a Southern Section 3A coaching title at St. John Bosco and a Division II state championship with the Braves. So when he decided to come out of retirement and coach Blair this season, you knew something good could happen.
Blair continued its run to the Southern Section Division 4 playoffs Friday night by defeating No. 1 seed Bonita 79-71. Jaleel Hunter had 14 points and 20 rebounds.
Blair lost his best player, Tim Anderson, to Pasadena. The team started 0-4. The Vikings are now 21-9 and play in the Division 4 quarterfinals on the road against Trabuco Hills on Tuesday.
Taylor lost his job with Taft in 2023 after guiding the Toreadors to an Open Division title. He would briefly coach at Gardena Serra, then resigned due to health reasons.
Things changed quickly for Blair, but that comes as no surprise to those who have seen what Taylor can do.
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