UNC Mourns The Passing Of Tar Heel Alum Kent Taylor

The North Carolina track and field program lost one of its most ardent and enthusiastic supporters on March 18 when Kent Taylor passed away at the age of 65. A native of Louisville, Ky., Taylor attended UNC on a track scholarship, competing in distance events and graduating in 1977.

"Kent epitomized what we ask of our student-athletes: thrive at Carolina and then go out and make an impact in the world," said UNC Director of Track & Field Chris Miltenberg. "We have been so appreciative of his generosity and the ways he has supported our program, benefiting so many Tar Heels. Our program is stronger because of his involvement. We join with his family and many friends in mourning the loss of an outstanding man and a true Tar Heel."

While at UNC, Taylor held the school record in 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:50.0, which now ranks fifth in school history.

Taylor founded the Texas Roadhouse chain of steak house restaurants in 1993 and served as CEO until his death. Texas Roadhouse operates in 49 states as well as 28 international locations in 10 countries. During the pandemic, Taylor gave up his salary to benefit the company's front-line workers.

A generous supporter of Carolina Athletics and the track & field program in particular, he sponsored indoor and outdoor track meets at UNC for many years and also donated to the building of the Eddie Smith Field House, where a floor is named in his honor.

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