The coaching vacancy opened up when former Lions Head Coach Joel Johnson chose to step down at the end of the 2008 season. After 14 seasons of coaching college baseball, and tired of missing his sons' youth baseball games, Johnson felt the need to walk away from coaching. His mark on Bryan is permanent, and his impact on the lives of young men unmistakable, as nearly 10 of his former players are now coaching at the high school or college level. While uncertain where his next step will be, Johnson trusts the Lord to direct him, and called his time at Bryan a "blessing and an honor to have been a part of." Johnson also said, "I'm sad to go, as I have loved coaching at Bryan, but I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for the team and for Taylor as he begins his career."

        A coaching change is usually a tumultuous time as players are often uneasy about the idea of a new coach, a new style of play, etc., but the Lions know exactly what they are getting with Hasty: A young man dedicated to the game of baseball and the success of the Bryan College baseball program. Many times a school will lose commitments from recruits when a coaching change is made, but Hasty was the main contact for all 18 recruits the Lions will welcome into the Program in August, and not a single player has asked for a release.

         Hasty credits his wise-beyond-his-years baseball knowledge to great coaching as a youth and on into high school baseball. His father taught him to do the ‘little things' excellently at a young age, laying a foundation upon which his coaches would continue to build. As Hasty grew into a high school standout at Charlotte Latin, Hawk's Head Coach Fred Conger set an example in coaching that Hasty still aspires to today. After a verbal commitment to NCAA Division I Furman University, Hasty eventually signed a National Letter of Intent with Bryan in hopes of helping build a winning tradition in a new program. As clearly evidenced by his 332 innings on the mound, Hasty was one of the biggest parts of the building process at Bryan, a task he hopes to continue from the dugout in the years to come. Johnson, the Lions former skipper, continued to mold Hasty as both a player and a young man, eventually recognizing his potential and bringing him on staff. "I'll forever be grateful for the opportunity Joel gave me to begin my career as a college coach. I enjoyed playing for him, and coaching along side him, and I will take what he has accomplished here at Bryan and build on it. He did a great job getting the ball rolling here, and he'll be missed," said Hasty of his former boss.

       When asked about his expectations for the upcoming year, Hasty had the following to say: "This will be a year in which we grow a lot as a program. Many people judge success based on individual seasons, but it is my desire to see this program become excellent year in and year out. I am committed to teaching the game of baseball at a high level, and through teaching the game, I hope to teach these young men to be disciplined, men of integrity and to approach all areas of their life with excellence. This is truly a blessing and an exciting time for me and Julie [Hasty's wife of 2 years]."

        The Lions will return 21 players to their roster in the fall, 5 of which are seniors, as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2008 season. Bryan College Athletic Director, Dr. Sandy Zensen, hopes the hiring of Hasty will inject new life into the program as they look to turn the corner in 2009. "Taylor is a young man of strong character and integrity. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to do the job well here. In his time at Bryan, Taylor was awarded our Lion of Valor award, the highest honor given by our Athletic Department. Being able to add a young man like Taylor to our staff of coaches only helps us accomplish our vision of helping our athletes excel both on the field and in life. We will certainly miss Joel [Johnson], but we know that he's left the program in capable hands with Taylor at the helm."