Fred Taylor (basketball, born 1924)

Fred R. Taylor ( born December 3, 1924 in Zanesville, Ohio; † January 6, 2002 in Columbus, Ohio) was an American basketball coach. Between 1959 and 1976 he coached the Buckeyes of Ohio State University in Columbus.

Although he played at the high school no basketball (since he came into the world with only six fingers, him grasping of balls was up to an operation impossible), he was an important player for Ohio State, where he studied 1946-1950. In 1958 he became an assistant coach, and a year later the head coach at Ohio State. He managed to lure the then outstanding high school talent Jerry Lucas to the Buckeyes. In 1960 Ohio State won the NCAA championship thanks to Lucas. It was Taylor's only one.

Taylor ended his coaching career in 1976 with a record of 297 victories in 158 defeats. On May 6, 1985, he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame basketball. One of his former players, Bobby Knight, a Hall -of- Fame coach has become, also.

• Basketball coach (United States)
• Born in 1924
• Died in 2002
• Man