Taylor head men's basketball coach Paul Patterson will be among 11 new members of the Grant County Hall of Fame to be inducted this spring. In his 31st season with the Trojans, Patterson is sixth on the NAIA all-time wins list among active coaches.

In a win over Cincinnati Christian on Dec. 22, Patterson coached in his 1,000^th as Taylor's head coach. His current overall record is 677-327 (.674), which equates to more than 22 wins per season. Patterson is 13th on the list of active four-year coaches on any level, checking in ahead of the likes of Gary Williams (Maryland) and Bob Huggins (West Virginia).

Patterson's latest hall of fame honor will be the third of his career. In 1995 he entered the Hall of Fame of his alma mater at Hanover College, followed by his induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1996.

"I'm really humbled by this because Grant County has such a storied history of athletics," Patterson said. "Across the board it's a really important part of the life of the community. I feel really blessed with the kinds of opportunities we have at Taylor."

In 1979 the Hammond, Ind., native took over a tradition-rich program and quickly established it as a national competitor. He has led 15 squads to a conference championship, including five consecutive from 2002-06, and 14 to NAIA National Tournament appearances. Patterson's 1991 squad finished 34-4 and advanced to the Final Four for the first time in school history.

From 1984-94, the Trojans recordedten straight years with 25 or more wins, a feat that has only been achieved by three other schools at any level of collegiate basketball (UCLA, UNLV, and Lipscomb). The ten-year span included a 271-69 (.797) record, eight conference championships and eight national tournament appearances.

Of all the statistics, accomplishments, and accolades Patterson has received over the years, the one he is most proud of is every player to play four years for ‘Coach P' has gone on to earn a college degree.

"Coach Patterson's 31 years of successfully leading the men's basketball program here at Taylor certainly merits this distinguished award," said Taylor Athletic Director Dr. Angie Fincannon. "Paul not only is a scholar of the game, but he continues to mentor and lead young men and prepare them for life through their experience in college basketball."

Patterson was one of 148 nominees that were presented to the Grant County Hall of Fame committee. Each committee member voted for 15 potential inductees, with the top vote-getters being included in this year's class.

A banquet to officially welcome the newest group of inductees will be held at the Grant County Star Financial YMCA on April 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau.