Dr. Timothy Taft is the team’s orthopaedic surgeon.
Taft, a native of St. Louis, MO, received his BA degree from Princeton University in 1964 and his MD from the University of Missouri in 1969. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at Carolina in 1974 and has been the orthopaedic surgeon for the Tar Heels since that time.
Taft is the Max Novich Distinguished Professor of Sports Medicine at the UNC Medical School. He has held numerous national leadership positions in sports medicine including serving on the Board of Directors fro the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and being an examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is on the sports medicine advisory committee for the NC Medical Society, the NC High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics North Carolina.
Taft was pm the team physicians for the 1979 USA Pan American Games Team, the 1980 USA Olympic Team and was head physician for the 1981 USA World University Games Team. He served as a staff physician for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and was medical director for the Special Olympic World Games in 1999. He has been team physician for numerous USA national teams including the USA basketball teams which won the 1986 Men’s and the 1990 Women’s World Championships.
Taft and his wife, Judy, have two children, Todd and Becky. Becky is married to Aaron Fecher, and they have a son, Cody.