The University of Pikeville has hired a 21-year college coaching veteran to lead its women's soccer program.
 
Shane Taylor, recently of Bethany (Kan.) College, has been named the new coach of the Bears, according to Director of Athletics Corey Fipps.
 
"I am honored, humbled, and incredibly excited to lead the UPike women's soccer program and eager to build upon its foundation while moving forward on a new path with our talented student-athletes and coaching staff," Taylor said.
 
"I would like to thank my family, friends, former assistant coaches, and former players for their support and belief in me. I would also like to personally thank Corey Fipps and Brad Yoder for this opportunity and their support. I am excited to be a member of the UPike family! Go Bears!"
 
Taylor replaces Logan Langseth, who is now the assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
 
Taylor had been at Bethany, an NAIA school in Lindsborg, Kan., since 2015. In his time there, he has coached the women's program since 2021. Prior to that, he logged seven seasons as head men's coach.
 
In that time, he has produced 78 all-conference players and 174 academic all-conference honorees.
 
Prior to Bethany, he coached both men's and women's soccer at MacMurray (Ill.) College, the men at Iowa Wesleyan College and both men's and women's soccer at Illinois College.
 
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, where he was a four-year letterman in soccer where he was twice named all-conference and a two-time team captain.
 
The Bears are coming off a season in which it finished 9-7-2 with a conference record of 6-5-2. The Bears advanced to the second round of the AAC tournament after recording a 4-3 win in shootouts against Union Commonwealth University in the opening round.