April 5, 2019

THE 2019 AWARD

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Yale coach James Jones is the 2018-19 recipient of the Ben Jobe Award, which is presented annually to the top Division I minority coach.

Jones, 55, led the Bulldogs to a 22-8 overall record and the Ivy League tournament championship this season, earning the program’s second NCAA Tournament bid in the last four seasons. Yale was 10-4 in the Ivy regular season to earn a share of the crown. Jones has a 310-273 record in 20 seasons at Yale.

The Bulldogs served notice early in the season with a 77-73 defeat of Miami (FL) on Dec. 1st. Their four nonconference losses - including a five-point decision against LSU in the NCAA Tournament - were against top 75 opponents.

Coach Jobe was an icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, best known as the head coach of the Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons. He was also head coach at Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Talladega, Tuskegee and South Carolina State. Jobe, who died in 2017, is considered one of the finest men to ever college basketball.

His record at Southern was 209-141 and included four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament Championships. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was leading No. 15 seed Southern to a 93-78 win over No. 2 Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the history of the event.

2019 BEN JOBE AWARD FINALISTS