Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s five things to know about a familiar face in new Iowa men’s basketball assistant coach Matt Gatens.
After a pair of changes with his assistant coaching staff this offseason, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery has officially filled out his coaching staff with the addition of former Drake assistant Matt Gatens.
Let’s take a look at five things fans should know about Gatens entering his stint as one of Iowa’s new assistant coaches.
Iowa announced Matt Gatens as its newest assistant coach. Take a look back at his time with the Hawkeyes with these stunning still photos.
Iowa has its newest assistant coach and it’s a familiar face. Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery tabbed Matt Gatens as the Hawkeyes’ second new assistant coach, filling the void left by former longtime assistant Kirk Speraw’s decision to retire.
McCaffery and Iowa also recently elevated Courtney Eldridge after Billy Taylor left to become the new head men’s basketball coach at Elon University.
Gatens was a four-year starter for Iowa during the 2009-12 seasons and his final two seasons coincided with the first two years of McCaffery’s tenure in Iowa City. McCaffery raved about the latest addition to his coaching staff.
“We are excited to have Matt Gatens rejoin our program as an assistant coach. Matt was a respected leader on my first two teams as Iowa’s head coach. I could tell right away that he exhibited all the necessary attributes to be a successful coach. Since transitioning to the coaching profession, Matt has gained valuable experience working on the staffs at Auburn and Drake. He will have an immediate impact on our program,” McCaffery said.
Gatens spent the past four seasons with the Drake Bulldogs. The first two he served as the program’s director of operations and then each of the past two seasons he was one of the Bulldogs’ assistant coaches.
Take a look back at Gatens playing career with the Hawkeyes through these stunning still photos.
Rutgers football long snapper Billy Taylor was invited to the New York Jets rookie minicamp this upcoming weekend.
Billy Taylor is headed to New York Jets rookie minicamp this weekend, the former Rutgers football long snapper eager for an opportunity to prove himself.
An opportunity that will take place just minutes away in Morris County from where Taylor was a high school standout.
After the NFL draft had concluded this past Saturday, Taylor was on the phone with his agent talking about the options he had, with one of the options being the Jets. While on that call, the Jets called and offered him a chance to attend rookie minicamp. Nothing was guaranteed, but it was an opportunity.
He quickly accepted the chance to attend rookie minicamp, especially after having attended the Jets event for local college players prior to the draft. NFL teams frequently have an evaluation day for local college players within a certain geographic area to attend their facility and Taylor attended the event held by the Jets as well as one by the New York Giants.
The call and the rookie minicamp opportunity has Taylor looking to prove himself in front of the Jets higher-ups.
“I am very excited for it – I was hoping to sign an undrafted rookie free agent contract but unfortunately, that didn’t work out,” Taylor told RutgersWire on Tuesday.
“After getting to know the coaches at the local day, I was hoping I’d get another opportunity to work with them.”
As one of the best long snappers in the Big Ten over the past three seasons, Taylor isn’t short on experience, tying the Rutgers program record with 58 games played. He was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection (Phil Steele) in addition to being named to the 2021 Mannelly Award Watch List as the nation’s top long snapper.
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Having played his high school football for Parsippany Hills (Parsippany, N.J.) just minutes from the Jets facility in Florham Park, Taylor is excited about the rookie minicamp opportunity.
“I’m very thankful and I have realized the privilege I have because not many guys from the area get opportunities like this. The chance to play football so close to home means so much to me, just as it did at Rutgers,” Taylor said.
“I think the best way to put it is that it is really cool. My mom grew up in East Hanover which is right down the road from the facility and I’ve driven past their complex countless times. To be on the other side of the fence is definitely a crazy feeling.”
Taylor did his pro day training locally at TEST Football Academy, a facility based in central New Jersey. Taylor worked out with several of his former college teammates including defensive lineman and Mike Tverdov and defensive back Tre Avery at the facility. In addition, quarterback Kenny Pickett, a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, trained at the facility for the NFL combine and his pro day workout.
Avery, ironically, was supposed to attend Jets rookie minicamp but signed an undrafted rookie free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday. RutgersWire was the first to report the news of Avery’s contract.
The pre-draft experience was a positive one for Taylor. Famous alumni of TEST includes the like of All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco among others.
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As for Taylor, his testing at his pro day in March puts him near an elite category with metrics comparable to former NFL long snappers Wes Farnsworth and Lucas Gravelle. He also had a solid week of performances at the East-West Shrine Bowl, an all-star game for college seniors.
Jets minicamp begins this Thursday and concludes on Saturday afternoon.
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Iowa assistant men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor is off to become Elon’s new head men’s basketball coach.
After a second successful stint at the University of Iowa, assistant men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor is back to the head coaching ranks. Elon athletic director Dave Blank named Taylor the school’s 19th head men’s basketball coach.
“I am humbled and honored to accept the head coaching position at Elon University. I want to thank President Connie Ledoux Book and Director of Athletics Dave Blank for offering me the opportunity to serve the student-athletes in our basketball program. As a program, we will pursue excellence on the basketball court, in the classroom and in the community. Our family is excited to begin this new journey, and we look forward to joining the Elon community,” Taylor said.
A new era starts today. Huge welcome to our new head coach, @btaylorhoops 🙌
📝 | https://t.co/er1zOgVGK2#HeatRises🔥 pic.twitter.com/GrCj95T3xH
— Elon Men's Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) April 15, 2022
It’s Taylor’s third opportunity to be a Division I head men’s basketball coach. At Lehigh from 2002-07, Taylor compiled an 81-69 record and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004. Then, at Ball State from 2007-13, Taylor registered an 84-99 record. He also coached at Division II Belmont Abbey for three seasons, tallying a 49-42 record. For his career as a head coach, Taylor is 214-210.
Obviously, Taylor’s hiring speaks to the type of coach he is and how his role with the Hawkeyes has been perceived nationally. It also speaks to the type of success Iowa has enjoyed. When programs find success, assistant coaches get hired.
That’s been the case with the Hawkeyes after three consecutive 20-plus win seasons and a pair of NCAA Tournament trips. It would have been three consecutive trips, but, of course, the 2019-20 season ended with the tournament being canceled.
With Taylor on staff, the Hawkeyes and Iowa head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] enjoyed several of their best offensive seasons in school history. Iowa ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense each of the past two seasons at 83.7 points per game in the 2020-21 season and 83.2 points per game.
The Hawkeyes had national player of the year finalists each of the past three seasons in center Luka Garza (2020, 2021) and forward Keegan Murray this past season. Garza actually swept the national awards last season.
The Phoenix finished last season 10-22 overall and 7-11 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
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Rutgers WR Bo Melton and long snapper Billy Taylor will be among those attending the New York Giants’ local pro day.
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The New York Giants, when healthy, have a capable stable of wide receivers with veterans Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton and last year’s top draft pick, Kadarius Toney.
But in this day and age of vertical offenses, there’s always room for more, especially of the player possesses top speed.
This spring, the Giants could draft a wideout with one of their Day 2 or 3 selections and it could be a player who played his high school and college ball right in their backyard.
Rutgers’ speedy wideout, Bo Melton, who ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine earlier this year, will be visiting the Giants this spring at their local pro day.
“[I’m going] to the local days for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and the New York Jets. I had a workout with the [New Orleans] Saints already,” Melton told Rutgers Wire.
Melton (5’11”, 189 pounds) put in a solid performance at Rutgers’ pro day showing NFL scouts that he is for real. Some are predicting he could go as high as their third round, but he’s likely a Day 3 pick.
“Yea, a lot of teams were very happy with seeing that,” Melton said. “And some teams wanted to see that speed; they wanted to see how fast I could run and I was happy to put a good time up and put the shuttles down and show them that I’m versatile.”
Melton is not just a receiver, he can be used in the rushing game and on special teams as a returner. He is determined to forge a career in the NFL.
“I always keep a chip on my shoulder just because I want to be the best. I’ve worked through hard times in college, but at the end of the day, we did a great job the last two seasons and I always keep in the back of my mind that I was going to work every day,” Melton said. “And I was going to prove myself to every team every day, no matter what team I’m on, I’m going to prove it every day I’m worth being there.”
When Melton visits East Rutherford for the Giants’ local pro day, he’ll be joined by Rutgers teammate and long-snapper, Billy Taylor.
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