AUBURN, Ala. (WTVM) Reaching the top doesn’t happen overnight it’s something you build piece by piece.
For the Auburn University wheelchair basketball team, that climb took more than 10 years. The Tigers finally reached the peak by defeating Alabama and capturing the program’s first-ever national championship, a moment that’s been in the making for more than a decade.
“This really began a decade ago,” head coach Robb Taylor said. “When I got the job, I told my boss, ‘Give me five years to start landing elite talent. By year ten, we’ll win a national championship.’ And here we are.”
Taylor took over a program still trying to find its footing and reshaped it into a national force, establishing a culture built on patience, vision, and steady development.
“I had a plan for what this program could become,” Taylor said. “We recruited and staffed with that vision in mind, and I’m incredibly proud that ten years later, we’re here holding a national title.”
But even with the historic championship now secured, Taylor emphasized that Auburn’s mission goes far beyond on-court success. His priority remains helping his athletes grow both as elite competitors and as people.
“Working with these players every day, helping them chase their goals at Auburn and beyond, that’s what matters most,” he said. “We’ve got three guys heading to U.S. tryouts next week, and I can use my experience with the national team to help them succeed after they leave here.”
Nearly a week after the championship win, the celebrations continue but inside the program, the expectations have only gotten higher.
The standard, Taylor said, hasn’t just been met. It’s been elevated.
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