Van Taylor’s legacy at Lander University and in the soccer world is marked by remarkable achievements and a lasting impact.
With an All-American collegiate career at Erskine College, a decade as a professional soccer player, nearly 30 years as Lander's head soccer coach, and a soccer stadium named in his honor, Taylor has undeniably left his mark.
A group of former Lander soccer players, in partnership with The Lander Foundation, is now working to establish a scholarship in Taylor’s name to further honor his contributions.
Randy Bouknight, Lander’s Special Gifts Officer, shared how the initiative began.
"A group of Coach Taylor’s former players approached the University with the idea of creating a scholarship to honor their coach," Bouknight explained. "We then connected with other alumni who were also interested, and together, we developed a plan to make it happen."
That plan included organizing a reunion of Lander’s international alumni, many of whom had played soccer under Coach Van Taylor.
In May, Bouknight, Taylor, and Robyn Hoffman, Vice President for University Advancement and External Relations, flew to London for the alumni gathering that included several activities over a span of two days.
“The trip to London was the first formal gathering of Lander’s international alumni base, and it was anchored by Coach Taylor’s former soccer players who live overseas,” Bouknight said. “We had 35 former athletes there, including men’s and women’s soccer and tennis players, and a few others.”
Thanks to a Lander alumnus’s connections in the professional tennis world, the American visitors received VIP treatment with a private tour of Wimbledon, home of the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world dating back to 1877. “We saw the royal box and had lunch on the outdoor veranda,” Taylor said.
The alumni group also enjoyed box seating during a soccer match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the largest club stadium in London. The box host was former Bearcat player Stilian Shishkov, a former three-time All American who is now successful businessman in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he is CEO of the largest digital media group in Bulgaria – Sportal Media Group and Senior Partner at Ringier Sports Media Group.
“We had 15 former Lander soccer players attend the soccer game,” Taylor said. “Tottenham is quite a stadium – one of the finest in the world.”
“In all, it was a very successful weekend,” Bouknight added. “A lot of players had not seen each other in decades, and I enjoyed sitting back and listening to their stories. They really enjoyed it, and it was a very worthwhile time spent bonding with, and among, our alumni. We secured over $50,000 for Coach Taylor’s scholarship.”
Van Taylor Career Highlights
Eugene Van Taylor, Jr., was a Parade Magazine High School All American soccer player at West Essex High School in North Caldwell, Essex County, New Jersey. He played collegiately at Erskine College, in Due West, where he was a 1973 Honorable Mention All American soccer player.
In 1975, Taylor was a first-round draft pick of the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and 13th overall pick. The Cosmos traded him to the Miami Toros in 1976 where he was Runner-Up for NASL 'Rookie of the Year'. In 1977, he played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers before moving to the New York Eagles of the American Soccer League in 1978. In 1979 and 1980, he played for the Columbus Magic. In the fall of 1980, Taylor signed with the expansion Baltimore Blast of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was traded to the Phoenix Inferno and remained with the Inferno through the 1983–1984 season when the team was known as the Phoenix Pride.
Taylor began coaching at Lander in 1985 and compiled an overall 390-163-52 in his 30 seasons at Lander. His teams made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, two Southeast Region championships, seven Peach Belt Conference regular season titles, four PBC Tournament titles, one NAIA Final Four, and four NAIA District 6 championships.
The popular coach and administrator, who holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical science from Erskine College and Master of Education from Lander University, has served as Lander’s director of athletic development since January 2015. He and his wife, Dr. Beth Taylor, are active in the community and with their church, Rock Presbyterian Church in Greenwood. Taylor has also been involved with Adopt-A-Highway, Special Olympics, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, prison ministries, and the local homeless shelter and food bank.
“I am extremely humbled with the scholarship,” the long-time Lander coach said. “Especially with it coming from the players. The records and stats are great, but it is the 40-year relationships that mean the most to me”
To celebrate Coach Taylor with a gift to his scholarship fund, please visit https://78882.thankyou4caring.org/onelander and select “Van Taylor Endowed Soccer Scholarship” from the gift information’s drop-down menu.