#162 - JAMES JONES

POD OF JAKE

James Jones is the Head Coach of Yale Men's Basketball. Currently in the middle of his 24th season, James is the 5th longest tenured coach in Division I Men's College Basketball and has the 2nd most wins of any basketball coach in Ivy League history. He has also served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball. Before becoming head coach at Yale in 1999, James was an assistant coach at Ohio, Yale, and Albany, where he played basketball in college. He began his career selling computers before dedicating himself to coaching.

[0:16] - How an early opportunity to coach JV basketball changed James’ career path

[5:12] - Transitioning from being a player to a coach and gaining additional responsibilities

[9:35] - How James’ experience as an assistant coach prepared him for head coaching duties

[11:05] - The evolution of Yale’s basketball program under Coach Jones

[16:09] - Crafting a program around defense, rebounding, and sharing the basketball

[19:20] - How Coach Jones changes his practices over the course of a season

[21:38] - Why Coach Jones prefers to run man defense over zone defense

[23:28] - Daily practice drills and how Coach Jones has built his library of drills

[28:15] - Motivating players and keeping them all vested in the team's success

[33:03] - Balancing recruiting responsibilities with coaching duties during the season

[35:52] - Coach Jones’ “Word of The Day”

[38:03] - How Coach Jones operates in-game

[39:15] - Why Yale has a difficult time scheduling games against big-time opponents

[41:50] - Yale's team this season, perhaps the best Coach Jones has ever had

[44:04] - The unique aspects of coaching at Yale specifically

[45:58] - Reflecting on one of his favorite memories as Yale's coach

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Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music.

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