Ball State fires Taylor as men's basketball coach - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Billy Taylor has been fired after six seasons at Ball State's men's basketball coach.

The school announced the firing Thursday evening. Taylor led the Cardinals to an 84-99 record, including a 44-52 record in Mid-American Conference play, during his tenure. Ball State finished 15-15 overall and 8-8 in the MAC this year. They were eliminated from the conference tournament by Buffalo on Wednesday.

"This was a difficult decision, primarily because Billy was a tremendous representative of our athletics department and university," Ball State athletics director Bill Scholl said. "Billy is a great man. Under his guidance our student-athletes conducted themselves properly and our most recent APR score was our highest rating since 2004-05. We thank him for leaving the program better than when he inherited it and we wish him well in the future."

Scholl said the search for Taylor's replacement will begin immediately.

"The expectations of our men's basketball program include being competitive in the MAC and challenging for conference championships. Our primary concerns are the well-being of our student-athletes and what is best for the future of Ball State basketball," Scholl said.