Staff Directory
John Taggart
- Title:
- Senior Athletic Trainer (Wrestling, Men's Golf)
- Email:
- Phone:
- 848-932-1574
John Taggart joined the Rutgers Athletics Department in 2016 and currently serves as a Senior Athletic Trainer, overseeing the medical care for the Scarlet Knights wrestling and men's golf programs.
During his tenure with the Scarlet Knights, Taggart has worked with two individual national champions, five individual Big Ten champions and 15 All-Americans. This past season, Taggart worked with All-Americans Dylan Shawver (133) and Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT), while helping eight Scarlet Knights earn spots at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Kansas City.
Taggart helped the Scarlet Knights navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Rutgers managed another historical season in 2021. RU closed the season with three All-Americans in the same year for the first time in program history, as Sebastian Rivera (fourth), John Poznanski (fourth) and Jackson Turley (eighth) all earned All-America honors at the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Along with two-time NCAA qualifiers Michael VanBrill (149) and Billy Janzer (197), RU produced 13 victories at nationals en route to a 13th-place finish with 37.5 team points.
Arriving at Rutgers from Franklin & Marshall College, Taggart served as an assistant athletic trainer for all 25 of the Diplomats’ sport teams, including as the primary athletic trainer for Franklin & Marshall’s Division I wrestling program.
Prior to his appointment at Franklin & Marshall, Taggart worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the football and wrestling teams at Old Dominion University and spent a summer as an athletic training intern with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League.
Taggart received a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in education from Old Dominion. Taggart is a NASCM certified Strength and Condition Specialist, and also possesses certifications in M1 Graston Technique and Myofascial Release (MFR1).
Career Timeline
During his tenure with the Scarlet Knights, Taggart has worked with two individual national champions, five individual Big Ten champions and 15 All-Americans. This past season, Taggart worked with All-Americans Dylan Shawver (133) and Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT), while helping eight Scarlet Knights earn spots at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Kansas City.
Taggart helped the Scarlet Knights navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Rutgers managed another historical season in 2021. RU closed the season with three All-Americans in the same year for the first time in program history, as Sebastian Rivera (fourth), John Poznanski (fourth) and Jackson Turley (eighth) all earned All-America honors at the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Along with two-time NCAA qualifiers Michael VanBrill (149) and Billy Janzer (197), RU produced 13 victories at nationals en route to a 13th-place finish with 37.5 team points.
Arriving at Rutgers from Franklin & Marshall College, Taggart served as an assistant athletic trainer for all 25 of the Diplomats’ sport teams, including as the primary athletic trainer for Franklin & Marshall’s Division I wrestling program.
Prior to his appointment at Franklin & Marshall, Taggart worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the football and wrestling teams at Old Dominion University and spent a summer as an athletic training intern with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League.
Taggart received a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in education from Old Dominion. Taggart is a NASCM certified Strength and Condition Specialist, and also possesses certifications in M1 Graston Technique and Myofascial Release (MFR1).
Career Timeline
- 2021 - Present – Rutgers University • Senior Athletic Trainer
- 2016 - 21 – Rutgers University • Assistant Athletic Trainer
- 2014 - 16 – Franklin & Marshall College • Assistant Athletic Trainer
- 2012 - 14 – Old Dominion University • Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer
- 2011 - National Football League Atlanta Falcons • Intern
Personal:
- Hometown: Claymont, Delaware
- Education: Old Dominion University, 2014 – M.S. Education; University of Delaware, 2012 – B.S. Athletic Training
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