Taylor Named Assistant, Karshen Tabbed as Diving Coach at N.C. State

June 18th, 2012     
Taylor Named Assistant, Karshen Tabbed as Diving Coach at N.C. State
The NC State swimming and diving program announced Monday that it has added distance specialist Gary Taylor, Jr., to its program as an assistant coach. Taylor brings a wealth of experience to the Wolfpack program, as he spent the previous four years as the distance coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State.

"I'm very excited to announce the addition of Gary to our staff," head coach Braden Holloway said. "When we knew that we were going to have an opening on our staff, we thought of different people who would fit in with what we are hoping to accomplish. We knew that Gary was someone who would come in and make an immediate impact in our program.

"He is a very hard working individual with a great reputation in the swimming community." 

The distance program at Florida State flourished under Taylor's tutelage. Eight school records were broken during his stint with the program, and 43 all-time top-10 marks were achieved. 

Taylor guided four athletes to individual crowns at the ACC Championships while at Florida State, including Juan Sequear, who was named Freshman of the Year this past season, and Mateo De Angulo, who took home Swimmer of the Year and Performer of the Championships honors. Taylor guided seven individuals to the NCAA Championships over the course of the last four seasons, including De Angulo, who earned first team All-America honors in 2012.

Aside from coaching the distance program, Taylor was also a valuable recruiter for the Seminoles, and played a key role in signing several top national recruits, as well as top classes. Last season's incoming class at Florida State was ranked No. 19 in the country. 

"Not only does Gary provide additional credibility to the distance area of our program, but he was also the recruiting coordinator at Florida State," said associate head coach Todd DeSorbo. "We now have twice as many recruiters, which is a great thing for us."

Prior to taking the reigns of the distance program at Florida State, Taylor spent three years coaching for the Dynamo Swim Club in Atlanta, Ga. He coached multiple age sectional and state record holders, as well as age group sectional and state champions. He was named the Georgia Age Group Coach of the Year in 2007.

Before coaching with the Dynamo, Taylor spent six years with the Twin Cities Swim Team. He was the lead site coach in Minnetonka, Minn., and gained experience in both the business and coaching aspects of the sport through the program. 

Taylor was a former student-athlete at the University of Minnesota, and was a member of the 1998 Big Ten Championship swimming team. He graduated in 2001 with a B.S. in sport management.




Josh Karshen has been named the new NC State diving coach, as announced Monday by head coach Braden Holloway. Karshen spent the past three years coaching at Purdue University, as well as at the Boiler Diving Academy.

"We're very excited about Josh joining the Wolfpack family," said Holloway. "He brings a lot of technical background and knowledge of elite diving with him. Purdue is a known environment for successful diving, and Josh has been able to create his own coaching style while learning from the best."

While at Purdue, Karshen served as the diving coordinator for the 2010 Women's Big Ten Championships, NCAA Zone C Championships, and the NCAA Championships. The Women's NCAA Championship was recognized as a Meet of Excellence that year, and at the same time, Purdue University was also named a USA Diving Center of Excellence.

Karshen gained invaluable experience working under the guidance of Purdue head diving coach Adam Soldati, who is regarded as one of the top diving coaches in the country. Karshen also aided in the development of David Boudia, a 2008 Olympian and former U.S. National Champion. 

During his stint with Purdue, Karshen also served as the Junior National head coach at the Boiler Diving Academy. He led two divers to AAU National Championships, and coached one U.S. Junior National All-Star Team member. Karshen also developed five US Regional champions, four U.S. Zone champions, 16 U.S. Junior National qualifiers, and three U.S. Junior National finalists. 

Although he founded the Academy in 2006, Karshen left in 2007 to take an international coaching position as head coach of the Cambridge Dive Team in Cambridge, England. He returned to the West Lafayette, Ind., campus in 2009. 

While in England, Karshen developed four British Junior National finalists, two British Senior National qualifiers, two British National Schools Championship finalists, and three British Regional Team members.

A former member of the Boilermakers swimming and diving team, he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and the former Purdue record holder on the platform. Karshen qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials, as well as the U.S. National Championships.

Karshen graduated from Purdue in 2006. 

"Josh is a great teacher of the sport, and is very knowledgeable on all levels of diving," added Holloway. "This addition to our staff puts together a great team for the Wolfpack to move forward in achieving our goals at the conference and national levels."

Karshen is married to the former Ashley Karnes, a former All-American and U.S. National finalist on both springboards. A 2010 graduate of Purdue University with a degree in dietetics, she is the current school record holder on the one-meter board. 

She is currently working towards becoming a registered dietician.

The Karshens reside in Raleigh with their dog, Bailey, and are expecting their first child in January.

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