Brenda LaFlamme Taylor '98 returned to Averett University's Department of Athletics as the assistant director of athletics and senior woman administrator in July 2024.
Taylor previously served in the same role as the assistant director of athletics and senior woman administrator before stepping away from athletics in December 2021 to work in another capacity at Averett through HES Facilities Management as the assistant director of facilities for three years.
Taylor, an Averett Athletics Hall of Famer and USA South Athletic Conference Hall of Famer as an All-American women's volleyball standout, served as the Averett softball head coach for six seasons from 2010-16. She then transitioned to director of athletics operations and was named SWA in July 2019 before being promoted to her first stint as assistant director of athletics in 2020. In 2018-19, Taylor was named Averett's Most Outstanding Staff Member of the Year.
Taylor returned to her alma mater in June 2010 as the head softball coach and led the program to unprecedented success.
Her 2015 team has the most successful season in program history after winning the USA South Conference regular season championship and earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Regional. The team set single-season program records for overall wins (35) and conference victories (22) while notching its first NCAA Regional win in the process. Averett was ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 for most of the season, reaching as high as 13th in the poll. She produced two NFCA All-America selections, four NFCA All-Region selections and six USA South All-Conference performers, including USA South Player of the Year and USA South Pitcher of the Year. Five of her players earned a spot on the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Team, including the VaSID Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Taylor garnered USA South Coach of the Year honors from her peers, as well as VaSID Coach of the Year.
In five of her first six seasons, she guided the Cougars to 20-win seasons. In 2016, Averett went 25-17 while producing the USA South Player of the Year and USA South Pitcher of the Year, along with four all-conference selections. Her 2014 squad went 25-13 and had seven players earned USA South All-Conference honors, including USA South Rookie of the Year. She also coached one player to NFCA All-America Second Team and NFCA All-Region First Team honors. Three Cougars also earned Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Team recognition, including Co-Rookie of the Year.
In six seasons, Taylor produced 32 all-conference selections, two USA South Players of the Year, two Pitcher of the Year selections and one Rookie of the Year. Nationally, she has coached three NFCA All-America selections, seven NFCA All-Region selections, 10 all-state selections, one all-state player of the year and one all-state rookie of the year. Taylor's players also succeeded in the classroom. In addition to numerous USA South Academic All-Conference selections, she had two Capital One Academic All-America selections and three Capital One Academic All-District selections.
Taylor was a four-year standout on Averett's volleyball team from 1994-1997. The three-time conference player of the year and two-time conference tournament most valuable player was a 1997 American Volleyball Coaches Association Second-Team All-American selection and a two-time All-South Region pick. She still holds numerous program records.
The Danville native and Tunstall High School graduate also starred on the Averett softball team during her sophomore year. She batted .369 with 21 runs scored and 12 RBIs during the 1996 season as a middle infielder and pitcher. She also was named to the conference's all-tournament team as a pitcher.
Taylor joined Averett's staff initially after teaching high school mathematics for seven years in the Pittsylvania County school system. She gained coaching experience at both the high school and college levels. While she was still a student at Averett, she served as Gretna High School's volleyball coach from 1996-1998, leading the Hawks to a district championship. From 1998-2002, Taylor was an assistant coach on Averett's volleyball team, which won multiple conference titles during that span. From 2004-2005, she coached Tunstall's junior varsity volleyball and softball squads to district championships.
Taylor earned her bachelor's degree from Averett in 1998. She resides in Danville with her husband, Adam, and daughters Delaney and Ava.
