Former U.S. coach Tim Taylor dead at 71

Tim Taylor, who coached the U.S. Olympic team in 1994, died Saturday at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer.

Taylor graduated from Harvard University in 1972, but spent 30 years as coach at Yale University. He compiled a record of 342-433-55 in 28 seasons, and the ECAC Coach of the Year award was later named in his honor.

Taylor was an assistant with Team USA at the 1984 Olympics and went on to become the team’s head coach in 1994.

"Tim Taylor gave so many of us young American hockey players the opportunity to achieve amazing goals," former U.S. Olympian Mike Eruzione said on Twitter. "Not many people outside of U.S. hockey knew of Tim Taylor but any young player growing up in New England knew exactly who he was."

Taylor was the ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year on two occasions (1991-92, 1997-98). He was also was the Spencer Penrose Award winner as national coach of the year three times (1986-87, 1991-92, 1997-98).