TEMPLE, Texas — Amber Taylor was named the new women's head coach at Temple College.
She will replace Kim Sebek, who retired in February after she coached the team for 22 seasons. Taylor said there was never any question that she would become a basketball coach.
“My mother was a basketball coach,” Taylor said. “I grew up in the gym.”
Taylor will join the Leopards from Cisco College, where she served as head women’s basketball coach since 2017. Since Cisco is in the same conference as Temple College, Taylor said she is already familiar with the team she will coach.
“I always had great respect for Kim and what she accomplished,” Taylor said.
Taylor said she has some great players coming back and she started recruiting new players as soon as she accepted the position.
“I would like to thank (Athletic Director) Craig McMurtry and President (Christina) Ponce for this opportunity,” Taylor said. “I’m excited to get there and am looking forward to a great year.”
Taylor began her own coaching career as the women's basketball graduate assistant coach while she completed her master’s degree at Harding University. After she finished her degree, she was hired to be the assistant women’s basketball coach at Paris Junior College from 2007-2009 and then served as the assistant coach at Jacksonville College from 2009-2011.
Taylor served as head women’s basketball coach at Eastern Oklahoma State College from 2011-2017, and was named NJCAA Region 2 Coach of the Year for 2012-2013. She coached two NJCAA All-Americans as well as four NJCAA Academic All-Americans.
Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology/athletic training from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in education from Harding University.
“We are very excited to have Amber Taylor coming to Temple College and taking over our women's basketball program,” McMurtry said. “It should be a smooth transition having an experienced, passionate coach taking over for Kim Sebek after her successful 22 years at Temple College. We welcome Amber and look forward to working with her as she settles in here."
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