Chowan University Athletics

Taylor Furlough entered Chowan College in the Fall of 2001 from Columbia High School in Columbia, North Carolina. During his undergraduate years, he was a four-year letter winner in both football and baseball, serving as a three-year captain of the football team and a two-year captain of the baseball program. Taylor was recruited by Chowan University Hall of Fame namesake, Jim Garrison. 

On the gridiron, Furlough set seven program records as quarterback for the Braves and was a multiple-time USA South Conference Player of the Week. He entered the Chowan record books for career records (total touchdowns, passing touchdowns and all-purpose yards), season (total touchdowns), and single-game performances (passing yards, completions, and passing touchdowns).  Due to his career accomplishments, Taylor was named to Chowan University’s All Division III team in 2020. 

On the diamond, Furlough was a four-year member of the Braves’ pitching staff, culminating in a record-setting senior campaign in which he posted the lowest single-season ERA (1.20) in program history. His outstanding performance earned him NCCAA All-American honors in 2005, and he helped lead his team to a fifth-place finish at the NCCAA World Series in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The year prior, he was part of the 2004 team that finished runner-up in the conference tournament under Chowan Hall of Fame Coach Steve Flack.

After completing his playing career, Furlough joined the Chowan football staff as an assistant coach for two seasons, working with offensive skill positions. In the spring of 2008, he began his full-time coaching career with the baseball program as pitching coach. That season, the team set a program record with 36 wins and earned another berth in the NCCAA World Series, finishing sixth nationally.

In July 2011, Furlough was named Head Baseball Coach at Chowan University, a position he held for 11 seasons. In 2016, he guided the Hawks to their first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in Reading, Pennsylvania, following a CIAA Championship title in Cary, North Carolina. After the 2017 season, he was honored as the CIAA Baseball Coach of the Year. On March 25, 2022, Furlough surpassed his former coach, Aaron Carroll, to become Chowan’s all-time leader in career coaching victories during the NCAA era, finishing with 193 wins.

Under his leadership, the Chowan baseball program produced three NCAA All-Americans, 12 All-Region selections, and 25 All-Conference players, including 2019 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Marquise Lanier. Furlough also recruited and developed minor league players Tyler Burden, Chowan’s first MLB draft pick in two decades and Shane Rademacher during his tenure.

Academically, Furlough earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Chowan in 2006, where he was the recipient of the Acheson Harden Mathematics Award for highest GPA among underclassman mathematics majors and also awarded Top Senior Mathematics Graduate Award. He completed his Master’s Degree in Sports Management in 2011 and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Global Sports Leadership through East Tennessee State University.

Furlough currently serves as the Director of Admissions at Chowan University, continuing his commitment to leadership, student success, and the growth of the Chowan community. Taylor is happily married to Chowan University graduate, Stephanie Furlough, and resides in Wilson, N.C. with his two daughters, Lennox and Landry, and son Lincoln.