While he had a great opportunity before him, Chris Taylor's relationships at Ball State University made the decision to move to the next endeavor difficult.
Taylor, the director of communications and marketing at Ball State, resigned Tuesday and to accept a position as senior account executive at Allday Communications in Franklin, Tenn.
"It was a very difficult decision," Taylor said. "I have no reservations about the opportunity Allday has presented me. All the reservations are leaving my family and friends at Ball State."
Taylor said his duties at Allday will be similar to those he had at Ball State and will include public relations, media relations, production and marketing.
Allday is a national leader as a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in golf. Its clients include the PGA, Nike Golf and Tiger Woods' golf coach Hank Haney.
"I'm a huge golf fan," Taylor said. "That has strengthened by working with the Ball State men's golf team."
Taylor said in his 12 years working with Ball State athletics he developed relationships with players, coaches and staff members that are important to him.
"I'm all about the relationships you build and working hard," the 1996 Ball State graduate said. "Regardless of the title and position, if I can take those values and beliefs in, I can be successful. I know I'll be successful."
There is no timetable for him to leave Ball State, he said, but he will not leave until he finishes things right. He said he wants to finish things with the athletes, including senior men's basketball player Peyton Stovall.
When he does leave the university, Taylor said he will continue to see that things are getting done at Ball State and continue his relationships.
"I'm not leaving Ball State, I'm taking Ball State with me," he said.
Taylor said he would return for the March 4 men's basketball game, the final home game of the season for the Cardinals and the final home game of Stovall's career.
"That's one game I will not miss," he said.
Whoever takes his position, Taylor said, he hopes they have the same passion and desire that he had at Ball State. Also, he said he hopes he will be viewed as a role model by people within the athletics department like he views some of the people he worked with.
The position at Allday was developing for quite a while now, Taylor said. Contacts he had in the industry encouraged him to look into the position and it felt right in so many ways.
"I wasn't actively seeking [a new job]," he said.
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said Taylor was a great employee and a positive role model for student-athletes.
"He's a very talented individual and very talented people get opportunities to move on," Collins said.
A job opening will be posted when Taylor decides to leave the university, Collins said.
The loss of Taylor adds to the change within the communications and marketing of the athletics department.
Tuesday, Collins announced that Ball State will move all of its marketing to within the department, thus ending its contract with Nelligan Sports Marketing, Inc.
The change was made because Ball State thinks it can do a better job of marketing itself than an outside company, Collins said.
Collins said the amount of revenue Nelligan Sports made from Ball State depended on the amount of revenue it made for the university.
"They've been in the 750 to 800 thousand dollar range the last couple years," Collins said.
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