Athletic Director Rochelle Taylor retires after reinvigorating Hawks Athletics
When HFC Athletic Director Rochelle Taylor joined the College 14 years ago, she had a vision for what athletics at HFC could become. Now that she has achieved her vision, Taylor is retiring from HFC.
“I’m leaving at a good time – when things are strong and you don’t want to overstay your welcome,” said Taylor. “Over the last year, I felt like I left my mark on the College. There are things I want to do beyond HFC, such as traveling. I’m on the Board of Directors for the Aspire Higher Foundation in Indianapolis, where I lived for 10 years. It’s a city close to my heart, and I will have an opportunity to spend more time there. I’m healthy, so I can now devote my time elsewhere.”
Overhauling HFC athletics
Taylor, who has spent nearly 40 years in athletic administration, had a big job ahead of her when she joined HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) in early 2011. She didn't waste any time.
“Some folks didn’t even know we had athletics!” she recalled. “One of the first things I realized when I came onboard was the urgent matter of resources. Along the way, the College had defunded athletic scholarships. We weren’t competitive because other colleges were recruiting students and offering scholarships, while we were using our general student body [to recruit athletes]. This was a resources issue, so I just began to document what we would need to do.”
Taylor reviewed the department and started putting protocols into place, building up its foundation. She also looked at the coaching staff, who understood HFC’s mission of supporting and developing athletes and having them complete community service and excel in the classroom.
“We wanted our athletes to serve as positive role models for the youth in our community. We wanted to not only be competitive within our conference but also have the resources to make sure their experience at HFC was positive,” said Taylor. “When I was at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), there were a lot of programs I started from scratch. So I had some background in designing programs and getting them to grow and flourish. I saw this as a great opportunity to build up programs at HFC.”
HFC now offers the following sports:
- Baseball (re-established in 2011)
- Men’s basketball
- Women’s basketball
- Golf
- Softball
- Volleyball (re-established in 2016)
- Wrestling (established in 2017 as a club sport, became a varsity sport in 2018)
“I’m forever grateful to Rochelle for giving wrestling a home at HFC. Her support made it possible for countless athletes to chase their dreams,” said Coach Grant MacKenzie. “I enjoyed watching her vision for the Athletic department grow. Her leadership elevated opportunities for all athletes at HFC.”
Taylor worked closely with HFC’s top leaders, who supported her efforts. The College re-established athletic scholarships and purchased campus vans to transport athletes to away games.
“It was a matter of saying, ‘How are we going to be successful if we don’t have these resources in place?’” she said. “We made that case. That came in handy when educating the administration about what we needed in our program, being able to talk about how athletics is part of the student success story, how it can support and enhance HFC’s overall mission. Luckily, I’ve always had support from top administrators who were able to provide us with what we needed by demonstrating this is enhancing the College. We also got the coaches to understand we may not have the best resources and best facilities, but we do the best we can for our athletes. It all started flowing together when the administration supported us and the coaches wanted to be competitive.”
The sections below detail some of Taylor’s other notable accomplishments and distinctions.
Upgraded facilities benefit athletes and coaches
One of Taylor’s proudest, and ongoing, contributions is substantial facility upgrades, modernizing how HFC practices, hosts, and competes.
The gymnasium was redone, including the addition of new bleachers and a new floor. The balcony was remodeled into a usable space, including new regulation-caliber batting cages and turf.
The men’s and women’s locker rooms have been redone and are state-of-the art, containing:
- Varsity lockers and space for pre-game, halftime, and post-game strategy sessions
- Conference rooms
- Study spaces
- Ice machines
- Kitchenettes
“We needed to get areas for our athletes that are clean and get them amenities they absolutely needed,” said Taylor. “We now have facilities that are pristine. I’m very proud of that! The Home of the Hawks has nice facilities that coaches and athletes can be proud of.”
For teams that practice and play off campus, Taylor is happy that facilities are available in Wayne County. The baseball team practices at Elite Sports in Dearborn Heights and plays at The Corner Ballpark in Detroit, the former site of Tiger Stadium. The softball team practices and plays at Heritage Park in Taylor.
“Their indoor and outdoor facilities are close; they used to have to go all the way to Madison Heights or Ypsilanti,” said Taylor. “Now, they’re not too far from HFC.”
She’s also proud of how she and the coaches focused on the athletes’ academic progress and gave them the support they needed.
“I’ve seen students come in as freshmen straight out of high school who are unsure of themselves, then leave here confidently,” she said. “We have former players who have earned their master’s degrees because they started here. They’re all over the country representing HFC. We’ve got a few athletes playing professional baseball. We’ve got a number of athletes playing basketball internationally. This is beyond just changing lives; we’re really helping young people have some direction and put themselves into a position to be successful in life.”
As an accomplished athlete, she was inspired to lead others
The fifth of six children, Taylor was born in Detroit. She is an alumna of Immaculata High School in Detroit, where she ran track. Taylor attended the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) on a track scholarship. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from UTEP and her master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State University.
At UTEP, Taylor was a three-time All-American. She was also an All-American and Academic All-American in high school. She achieved All-American status at the Amateur Athletic Union level multiple times for numerous events.
“During high school, I was record-holder for the 400-meter and 800-meter runs all four years,” recalled Taylor. “I set records as a freshman and broke my own records each year after that.”
Her decision to go into athletics administration stemmed from her experiences as an athlete.
“As I started competing in national meets in high school and college, everything ran smoothly and was detailed down to the minute. As an athlete, I needed to know what time my event was scheduled, so I could warm up at the right time,” she explained. “I’ve been at many meets where, suddenly, it was time to run and I hadn’t properly warmed up. When I went to these national meets and saw how well-organized they were, it helped me as an athlete. I started wondering about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into that. It helped me develop respect for all the work that’s done behind-the-scenes that helps athletes perform at their best.”
Taylor coached track and eventually became the AD for two years at St. Mary's of Redford High School in Detroit. During graduate school, she interned at the University of Michigan Athletics in Ann Arbor and was hired as a promotions assistant.
“This was when Bo Schembechler coached football, Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback, Bill Frieder coached basketball, and Don Canham was the AD,” said Taylor. “Canham was a pioneer in college athletics. U-M was the first school to market and brand itself, selling T-shirts and merchandise. He transformed college athletics.”
Choosing college sports over professional sports
After U-M, Taylor took a job in the Detroit Pistons marketing department. Around that time, she also interviewed at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and later offered a position as the Assistant Athletic Director in Marketing and Promotions.
“I had a choice: Do I want to stay with professional sports or return to collegiate athletics? I chose the latter. Now, had I known the Pistons would win the NBA championship in 1989…” said Taylor, laughing. “I’m happy with my decision. Having been a college athlete myself, I was more concerned and interested in staying in college athletics. After my very brief stint with the Pistons – we left on good terms – I went to NCAT for three years.”
Taylor then worked at the NCAA for 14 years. In her first 10 years, she ran summer youth programs. She eventually became the Director of Professional Development, overseeing the NCAA's diversity and inclusion initiatives for four years. These included programs that focused on providing pathways for high-achieving women and minorities to advance toward senior athletic positions.
Afterward, Taylor became the president of the National Youth Sports Corporation in Indianapolis for four years. There, she oversaw programs that combined sports and academic activities for more than 75,000 youths worldwide.
Prior to HFC, she served as a youth sports consultant for clients such as the Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange at Purdue University. She worked with coaches and Ministers of Sports from Algeria, Zanzibar and Tanzania, enhancing and developing their models of competitive sports, physical education curriculum, and interscholastic sports programs for schools.
Breaking the glass ceiling in a male-dominated field
Taylor recognizes she’s a trailblazer. As a woman of color, she broke the glass ceiling in college athletics, a male-dominated field.
“There have been many people along the way, particularly NCAT AD Orby Moss, who made sure I had an opportunity to be at the table and have my voice heard,” she said. “He really supported me in growing and developing in athletics administration. At the same time, there were many who didn’t want to recognize a woman at the table, much less an African American. Some of their efforts in trying to hold me back helped me become a strong athletics administrator. Both groups — those who helped and supported me, and those who tried holding me back, made me the administrator that I am today.”
Taylor continued: “I quickly understood that I had to be very prepared. If I offered an idea or solution or something innovative, I had to make sure that I would anticipate it being shut down. I had to make sure I’d done all my homework. I put in more hours than most. When you think you’re going into a room and won’t be supported, you want to have everything you need, so you can be taken seriously. Some of it was just knowing when to let things roll off your back and when to speak up to get your idea approved.”
While the industry is still predominantly male, there are many accomplished women running collegiate athletics. Taylor is proud of that.
“I have gone from being the only person of color and only woman in a sea of high school ADs to serving with diverse colleagues who inspire me daily,” she said.
“It’s been meaningful to witness her leadership over the years"
Taylor returned to Detroit because her late mother had been ill. She then learned about the AD opening at HFC. Her brother, Thomas Collins, is an HFC alumnus.
“I’d been on the main campus many times with him and was familiar with it,” she said. “I thought it was worth pursuing, especially after I realized that it might be better for me to remain in Detroit and be here for family. I thought it would be a challenge and that I could make a positive impact here.”
HFC Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Steve Brown has worked with Taylor since 2011.
“Rochelle and I began this journey together, and it’s been truly meaningful to witness her leadership over the years,” said Brown. “I’ve had the privilege of seeing her dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment up close. In our conference, it's common for ADs to also serve as coaches. But because Rochelle focused solely on being an AD, all of our programs have had the opportunity to grow under her full attention and care. As she steps into retirement, I wish her peace, fulfillment, and all the best in this next chapter of life.”
HFC men’s basketball coach Chris Shepard also spoke highly of Taylor.
“I owe everything to her,” said Shepard. “She took a chance on me with no college head coaching experience. We have had great success on and off the floor. None of that happens without her support. I’m forever grateful for her and wish her all the very best. We will miss her.”
Game day
The best part of Taylor’s job is game day.
“I tell the athletes at orientation: I see every athlete. I see every strikeout, every home run. I see every dunk, every missed free throw. I see the missed putt, I see the birdie. I see every athlete compete – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Game day, regardless of the sport, shows all the work we’ve done, and we see the athletes and the coaches in their element. And I’m there to support them,” said Taylor.
It's game day she’ll miss the most, along with the coaches and athletes.
“Every year, Coach Shepard tells me, ‘Ms. Taylor, this is the best basketball team we’ve ever had. We’re going to nationals this year!’ I’ll miss when our teams achieve post-season honors – that’s an AD’s dream come true!” said Taylor. “Everything you do behind the scenes is done so the coaches and athletes can just focus on the game. It means something when you see them earn post-academic honors at the end of the year. That’s what we’re here for!”
Initially, HFC’s Athletic Department was a 1-person department. This could have made it easy for Taylor to feel siloed. But she's had a lot of meaningful support over the years.
“Looking back on 14 years and seeing the people on this campus supporting athletics and wanting to know how the teams are doing, they’re part of getting our athletes where they need to be. I’ll miss the people who’ve gone out of their way to support us and make sure we have what we needed. I’m not part of a silo; I really am part of the campus community and athletics is really part of the College, so that feels really good,” she explained.
“The opportunity to work with Rochelle was a major reason why I chose to join HFC full-time,” said HFC Associate Athletic Director Kirk Bradley. “Her leadership consistently exemplifies the mission of the college by being student-centered and future-driven. Her impact here has been immeasurable, and I’m truly grateful to have learned from her.”
Big Shoes
Taylor described herself as someone with a strong work ethic who fought for student success, both academically and athletically.
“I know I’m leaving big shoes to fill, but I know there’s a big-footed person out there to fill them,” she said. “During my time at HFC, I feel I had a purpose to be here; I feel satisfied. I’m proud that I came in with a vision with goals and I was able to meet those goals and see my vision come to life. I’m excited about the athletic program moving on to the next level because the next AD doesn’t have to deal with all the fundamentals, the structures, and the infrastructure; they can just keep building on what we’ve done at this point.”
HFC Vice President of Student Affairs Holly Diamond is launching a national search for the College’s next AD. Bradley and Brown will split Taylor’s duties on an interim basis until a suitable replacement is hired.
“Rochelle Taylor has been a transformative leader – not only within our athletics program but across the entire College,” said Diamond. “Her unwavering commitment to student-athletes, dedication to equity, and relentless drive to build a strong, student-centered athletics program have left a lasting impact on our campus community. We are deeply grateful for her years of passionate service and wish her the very best in her well-earned retirement.”
Farewell gathering on August 28
There will be a farewell gathering for Rochelle on Thursday, August 28, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Rosenau Rooms on the first floor of the Andrew A. Mazzara Administrative Services & Conference Center (ASCC) (Building L on the main campus). Refreshments will be served. For questions or more information, contact Melissa Daniel at 313-845-9610 or madaniel@hfcc.edu.
A note about retiree stories
We value the contributions of all our retirees. When we become aware of a colleague's official intent to retire, we reach out to them to ask if we can write a story about them, to share their contributions and allow others to recognize and appreciate them. Some of our retirees decline to participate in the retiree story series. We respect their wishes and their privacy. If there is a retiree whom you want to see recognized in this series, you can talk to that person, or reach out to HFC Communications. We will let you know if the person has declined to have a story published. In some cases, we might not be aware of their plans to retire.
— HFC Marketing and Communications