James Jones (basketball, born 1964) facts for kids
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Yale |
| Conference | Ivy League |
| Record | 406–317 (.562) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | February 20, 1964 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1982–1986 | Albany |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1990–1995 | Albany (assistant) |
| 1995–1997 | Yale (assistant) |
| 1997–1999 | Ohio (assistant) |
| 1999–present | Yale |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 406–317 (.562) |
| Tournaments | 2–4 (NCAA Division I) 1–2 (NIT) 4–2 (CIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 6 Ivy League regular season (2002, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023) 3 Ivy League tournament (2019, 2022, 2024) |
|
| Awards | |
| Hugh Durham Award (2016) Ben Jobe Award (2019) 4× Ivy League Coach of the Year (2015, 2016, 2020, 2023) |
|
James Fitzgerald Jones (born February 20, 1964) is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at Yale University.
Born on Long Island, James Jones played college basketball at SUNY Albany. Before becoming a coach, he worked in sales for a company called NCR Corporation. On April 27, 1999, he became the 22nd head coach for Yale University's men's basketball team, taking over from Dick Kuchen.
Big Wins and Achievements
James Jones has led the Yale Bulldogs to some exciting victories. On March 17, 2016, his team surprised many by beating the Baylor University Bears in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This was a big upset because Baylor was a much higher-ranked team.
He did it again on March 22, 2024, when Yale beat the Auburn University Tigers in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. These wins show that his teams can compete with the best.
Coaching Success
Under Coach Jones, Yale has won many titles. They have won the Ivy League regular season championship six times (in 2002, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2023). They also won the Ivy League men's basketball tournament three times (in 2019, 2022, and 2024).
He has been named the Ivy League Coach of the Year four times (in 2015, 2016, 2020, and 2023). He was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Developing Other Coaches
Coach Jones is known for helping other coaches grow. Five of his assistant coaches have gone on to become head coaches at other universities. These include Ted Hotaling (at the University of New Haven) and Rob Senderoff (at Kent State University).
Family in Basketball
James Jones isn't the only coach in his family. His brother, Joe Jones, is also a college basketball head coach. Joe currently coaches the men's team at Boston University. He used to coach at Columbia University.
