General | 11/6/2015 4:12:00 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today the five members of its 2016 Hall of Fame Class. The inductees include Virginia Union University Athletic Director Joe Taylor, and will be enshrined during an awards brunch on Thursday, March 10, beginning with a welcoming gathering at 9:30 a.m., at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia and will also be recognized before the 6 p.m. men's basketball game during the 2016 MEAC Basketball Tournament on March 10 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia.

Taylor will be inducted as a coach along with LaShondra Dixon-Gordon, Bobby Moore, David Oliver and Lynn Thompson.

"I'd like to congratulate the 2016 Hall of Fame class for all their accomplishments both athletically and professionally," said Dennis E. Thomas, MEAC Commissioner. "The honorees have made significant contributions to their communities, institutions, and this conference."

The MEAC Hall of Fame highlights former student-athletes, coaches, university and conference administrators as well as special contributors, who have enriched the legacy of the conference since its inception in 1970. Enshrinees were selected by a 13-person committee made up of administrators and representatives from member institutions.

The inaugural Hall of Fame class was inducted on May 29, 1981, during a 10-year anniversary banquet in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since its establishment, the MEAC Hall of Fame has enshrined 133 people, including the class of 2016.

Tickets for the induction brunch are $35 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons). Tickets can be purchased by calling the MEAC office at 757-951-2055.

Taylor amassed a 233-96-4 (.700) record in 29 seasons at Hampton, Florida A&M and Virginia Union, ranking him third all-time in wins among HBCU football coaches, behind John Merritt (Tennessee State) and Eddie Robinson (Grambling State). At Hampton, Taylor became the all-time winningest coach in school history, boasting a 136-48-1 (.735) record. He accounted for four Black College National Championships (1994, 1997, 2004, 2005) and won five MEAC titles with postseason appearances in the NCAA FCS playoffs (1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006). Before Hampton's transition to Division I, he coached the Pirates to two NCAA Division II playoff appearances (1992, 1993), including their first playoff win over Albany State (33-7).

Taylor coached 12 future NFL players, including current players Kendall Langford, Justin Durant, Kevin Elliott and Brian Tyms. He won a share of the 2010 MEAC title at Florida A&M, guiding the Rattlers to a 37-29 mark in four seasons. At Virginia Union, Taylor won one CIAA Championship in 1986 and guided the Panthers to three NCAA Division II appearances, while compiling a 60-19-3 mark. He has been inducted into three collegiate hall of fames: Western Illinois, Virginia Union and the CIAA. Taylor currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Virginia Union University.