The University of Georgia women’s basketball coach, Joni Taylor, takes the prize for shortest maternity leave after returning to the game floor two days after giving birth to her second child, daughter, Drew Simone.
The Lady Bulldogs’ head coach is 79-42 in her fourth season and also has a 2-year old named Jacie Elise with her husband Darius Taylor.
The newborn arrived weighing a healthy 6 pounds, 8 ounces and 20 inches long last Tuesday, just one day after her mom coached the Bulldogs to a 78-56 victory over Ole Miss.
By Thursday, Taylor was back on the bench, watching the girls beat Arkansas 93-83 while assistant Karen Lange actually coached the team.
The young women on the team took notice of their coach’s dedication.
“I realized that she can really do it all,” Maya Caldwell told the Macon Telegraph. “She has (lived life) at 110 percent every day.
“She’s superwoman to me. She’s such a great coach, mom, wife and friend. That’s a lot to do, and especially in this program.”
Point guard Taja Cole also told the Telegraph:
“It shows her fight, because she never lets us see that she’s down. I know sometimes days aren’t the easiest, but you’ll never know something is wrong. I try to take that from her and learn that.”
Photo: Joni Taylor – David Barnes/Georgia