Trev Alberts will be formally introduced as the new athletic director at Texas A&M University today, but he was greeted with a much ruder welcome late last week, when it was revealed that an athletic department employee had been indicted by a grand jury.
Blaise Taylor, who last month joined the Texas A&M athletics staff as an assistant, remained listed in the department's directory as "assistant to the athletic director" as of Friday. His name appears to have been deleted since, though R.C. Slocum oddly still tops the list as "interim athletic director."
According to KOLN/KBTX in Lincoln, Neb., where Alberts had served as the University of Nebraska's athletic director, Taylor, 27, was arrested Thursday by U.S. Marshals in Utah. Taylor was indicted by a Nashville grand jury earlier last week on two counts of first-degree murder in the poisoning death of his girlfriend and her unborn child. Taylor is accused of poisoning Jade Benning on Feb. 25, 2023, and her unborn baby, which is believed to be Taylor’s.
Investigators say Taylor called 911 and said Benning was having an allergic reaction after the poisoning. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by ambulance where her condition became critical. Her unborn child died on Feb. 27, 2023, and Benning died on March 6, 2023.
KBTX reached out to Texas A&M Athletics to confirm details of Taylor’s employment with the university. A spokesperson for the athletics department said Friday they were looking into his status as an employee and would follow up with additional information.
Taylor’s father, Trooper Taylor, serves on A&M’s football coaching staff as associate head coach and running backs coach under new head coach Mike Elko.
During Blaise Taylor’s time in Nashville, he worked for the Tennessee Titans in the pro scouting department. After Benning and the child died, Taylor moved to Utah where he worked at Utah State University as a senior defensive analyst for the 2023 season. Taylor was a four-year starter for Arkansas State, KOLN/KBTX reported.
Metro Nashville Police say they will work together with Utah authorities to arrange Taylor’s return to Nashville, which is expected to take weeks.
