University of North Carolina Athletics
Assistant coach Taylor Spears is in her first year at Carolina. At Oklahoma, she helped Oklahoma win its first national championship in 2014..
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: Spears Returns Home to Oklahoma
February 11, 2018 | Women's Gymnastics
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
NORMAN, OKLA. -- For the first time since joining North Carolina gymnastics as an assistant coach in August, Taylor Spears will return to Oklahoma, her alma mater, when the Tar Heels visit the Sooners Sunday.
Oklahoma has won three of the last four national championships. And Spears played an influential role in those three titles, first as a student-athlete and then as a volunteer coach.
As a senior in 2014, she won an NCAA individual championship on the balance beam and helped lead the Sooners to the first team title in program history. She then returned as a volunteer coach in 2016, when Oklahoma claimed the first of back-to-back NCAA team titles.
Ahead of Sunday's meet, Spears spoke with GoHeels.com columnist Pat James about her return to Oklahoma.
Q: What are some of the things you've tried to focus on in terms of your coaching since coming to UNC?
Taylor Spears: I was fortunate enough to be coached by K.J. (Kindler), Lou (Ball) and Tom (Haley), the three coaches that are still there (at Oklahoma). I was a part of the major phase of them creating this championship team, and being part of the first championship team really taught me a lot. Every year was different. I learned more about myself, and I think it's really important not only to coach them in gymnastics but to teach them how to be good people outside of gymnastics. I really enjoy doing that and influencing them to do the right things.
Q: Since you got to UNC, how often have you stayed in touch with Coach Kindler or anyone else from Oklahoma?
TS: I stay in touch with her a lot, actually. Her daughters are going to be flower girls in my wedding in September, so we're pretty close. I coached both of her girls in club gymnastics when I was in Oklahoma. I'm very close to all of them.
Q: What do you think it will be like when you walk back into Lloyd Noble Center again?
TS: For me personally, I think it's going to be a little bit emotional, but a good emotional. That's where I came from, that's where I learned everything. To be able to bring my team there is so special to me. And for them to see where I kind of grew up, I think that's a really cool thing and I hope they really enjoy it.
Q: What's one of your favorite memories from your time at Oklahoma?
TS: Winning the national championship for the first time ever in school history probably is the main one. Just being able to do it for the first time after no one thought we would – Oklahoma wasn't really anyone's top pick to win. Coming together as a team and just knowing how prepared we were for that meet was so special. And seeing it all come together on the floor was something I'll never forget.
Q: Was this meet with Oklahoma scheduled after you came to UNC? Or was it already?
TS: No, this was already scheduled. It was just a pleasant surprise when I was offered this job. When I got here, (coach Derek Galvin) told me we were going to OU, and I thought that was really ironic.
Q: With so many underclassmen, how do you think competing in that environment can help them learn?
TS: Along with me bringing this team to Oklahoma to see everything, I really think the atmosphere there is amazing. The fans are great, so I'm really excited for our girls to get to compete there and just experience that excitement.
It's no secret that Oklahoma is No. 1; they're No. 1 for a reason. And I think anyone who watches them can see why and see they're so united as a team, especially when they compete. I think that will be really nice for our underclassmen to see that, too.
NORMAN, OKLA. -- For the first time since joining North Carolina gymnastics as an assistant coach in August, Taylor Spears will return to Oklahoma, her alma mater, when the Tar Heels visit the Sooners Sunday.
Oklahoma has won three of the last four national championships. And Spears played an influential role in those three titles, first as a student-athlete and then as a volunteer coach.
As a senior in 2014, she won an NCAA individual championship on the balance beam and helped lead the Sooners to the first team title in program history. She then returned as a volunteer coach in 2016, when Oklahoma claimed the first of back-to-back NCAA team titles.
Ahead of Sunday's meet, Spears spoke with GoHeels.com columnist Pat James about her return to Oklahoma.
Q: What are some of the things you've tried to focus on in terms of your coaching since coming to UNC?
Taylor Spears: I was fortunate enough to be coached by K.J. (Kindler), Lou (Ball) and Tom (Haley), the three coaches that are still there (at Oklahoma). I was a part of the major phase of them creating this championship team, and being part of the first championship team really taught me a lot. Every year was different. I learned more about myself, and I think it's really important not only to coach them in gymnastics but to teach them how to be good people outside of gymnastics. I really enjoy doing that and influencing them to do the right things.
Q: Since you got to UNC, how often have you stayed in touch with Coach Kindler or anyone else from Oklahoma?
TS: I stay in touch with her a lot, actually. Her daughters are going to be flower girls in my wedding in September, so we're pretty close. I coached both of her girls in club gymnastics when I was in Oklahoma. I'm very close to all of them.
Q: What do you think it will be like when you walk back into Lloyd Noble Center again?
TS: For me personally, I think it's going to be a little bit emotional, but a good emotional. That's where I came from, that's where I learned everything. To be able to bring my team there is so special to me. And for them to see where I kind of grew up, I think that's a really cool thing and I hope they really enjoy it.
Q: What's one of your favorite memories from your time at Oklahoma?
TS: Winning the national championship for the first time ever in school history probably is the main one. Just being able to do it for the first time after no one thought we would – Oklahoma wasn't really anyone's top pick to win. Coming together as a team and just knowing how prepared we were for that meet was so special. And seeing it all come together on the floor was something I'll never forget.
Q: Was this meet with Oklahoma scheduled after you came to UNC? Or was it already?
TS: No, this was already scheduled. It was just a pleasant surprise when I was offered this job. When I got here, (coach Derek Galvin) told me we were going to OU, and I thought that was really ironic.
Q: With so many underclassmen, how do you think competing in that environment can help them learn?
TS: Along with me bringing this team to Oklahoma to see everything, I really think the atmosphere there is amazing. The fans are great, so I'm really excited for our girls to get to compete there and just experience that excitement.
It's no secret that Oklahoma is No. 1; they're No. 1 for a reason. And I think anyone who watches them can see why and see they're so united as a team, especially when they compete. I think that will be really nice for our underclassmen to see that, too.
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