George Taylor III returns to the Adelphi University swimming and diving team as the diving coach.
Taylor previously coached Adelphi freshman Jalen Jennings in 2013. Jennings went undefeated that season, winning both the NE10 conference title on the 1m board and the 2013 Metropolitan Conference Championships on both boards. He went on to qualify for the 2013 NCAA Division II Men’s National Championships in Alabama and still holds both Adelphi diving records, with scores of 510.95 on 1m and 495.70 on 3m.
Taylor began his coaching career at Chaminade High School in 1990, remaining there until 1995, when he became the diving coach at St. John’s University—a position he held until 2005. While at St. John’s, he also coached the Queens College women’s diving team, guiding them to their first-ever National Qualifier and All-American honors on both boards.
Since 1990, Taylor has also served as the diving coach for Long Island Divers. Over the years, he has coached more than 35 National Qualifiers and 15 National Champions across U.S. Diving, AAU Diving, high school, and collegiate competitions. His athletes have also included three State Champions, more than 35 All-Americans, and over eight Empire State Games champions.
In 2011, Taylor coached Andrew Capobianco to a U.S. Diving National Championship. Capobianco went on to qualify for the Olympic Trials at just 15 years old, later earning a spot on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team and winning a silver medal in synchronized diving on the 3m springboard. In 2012, Yussef Ibrahim claimed two U.S. Diving National Championship titles on both the 3m and platform. More recently, Andrew Palladino (age 13) captured nine National titles across 1m, 3m, and platform events, while Ayden Parris (age 8) ranked No. 1 nationally in the boys’ 11-under category on all three boards.
A resident of Hempstead, New York, Taylor attended the University of Maryland before graduating from William Paterson University with a degree in computer science. While at William Paterson, he was a two-time Collegiate Karate Champion and a member of the swimming and diving team. He qualified three times for the Division III Nationals, won two Collegiate State Championships, and still holds three school records. He also competed in track and field and fenced sabre for the university’s fencing team.
Taylor has competed in the Empire State Games on both the 1m and 3m springboards, earning four medals. As a United States Diving competitor, he has won four Masters National Synchronized Diving Championships and earned a bronze medal in 1993. He currently serves as the SNYDA Junior Olympic Chairperson for U.S. Diving and as a representative for the AAU Metropolitan Diving Committee.
In addition to his coaching career, Taylor joined the United States Marine Corps in 1997 and continues to mentor new recruits. He also works with youth agencies as a director and coordinator, serves as a computer systems programmer/analyst, and tutors students in math and physics.
Â
