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Ben Davis names interim basketball coach after state champ’s leader under investigation

Don Carlisle, head boys basketball coach at Ben Davis High School, appears on "The Zone Extra" in April 2023. (WISH Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An assistant for the varsity boys basketball team will take over as head coach, Ben Davis High School announced Monday.

Corey Taylor was introduced as the interim head coach “for the foreseeable future.”

The announcement came amid reports that Don Carlisle, who led the Giants to a state championship in March, is under investigation for a reported assault on school property.

A redacted police report described the incident as a “simple assault” with an “unknown weapon” at the school, 1200 N. Girls School Road. Indianapolis police were told the incident happened about 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, and the report was made at 11:55 a.m. the next day.

The 2022-2023 Giants defeated Kokomo Wildkats 53-41 in March for the Class 4A state championship, capping a 33-0 undefeated season.

An announcement Monday from the Ben Davis athletics department says Carlisle is on administrative leave. The announcement said, in part, “The investigatory process is ongoing, and, while we do not have a clear timeline, we respect the right to privacy and due process and remain committed to sharing more information when it becomes available.”

Jeannine Templeman, the chief communications officer for the Wayne Township Schools district, said in an email Monday night, “While the investigatory process regarding Coach Carlisle is ongoing, we respect the right to privacy and due process and will share more information when it becomes available.”

Carlisle is a former IUPUI basketball player.

The Giants will now be led by Taylor, who played basketball collegiately at Eastern Illinois University. He began coaching in Illinois at Champaign Central before moving to Central Indiana for a two-year stint as an assistant at Noblesville High School. Since Taylor and Carlisle joined the Ben Davis coaching staff, the Giants have won a state runner-up title, a conference championship, a Marion County championship, and a Hall of Fame Classic championship in addition to the 2022-23 Class 4A state championship.

The Ben Davis boys basketball team will host Fishers High School to open its season Nov. 21.

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