Ben Jobe

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ben Jobe
Biographical details
Born(1933-03-02)March 2, 1933
DiedMarch 10, 2017(2017-03-10) (aged 84)
Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
c. 1955Fisk
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1958–1959Cameron HS
1964–1967Talladega
1967–1968Alabama State
1968–1973South Carolina State
1973–1978South Carolina (assistant)
1978–1980Denver
1980–1981Denver Nuggets (assistant)
1981–1982Georgia Tech (assistant)
1982–1986Alabama A&M
1986–1996Southern
1996–2000Tuskegee
2001–2003Southern
Head coaching record
Overall524–334 (college)
Tournaments1–4 (NCAA Division I)
0–1 (NIT)
0–4 (NCAA Division II)
0–1 (NAIA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 SIAC regular season (1983, 1985, 1986)
SIAC tournament (1986)
3 SWAC regular season (1988–1990)
4 SWAC tournament (19871989, 1993)

Ben W. Jobe (March 2, 1933 – March 10, 2017) was an American basketball coach. He was best known as the head coach of the Southern University Jaguars – a position he held for 12 years. He has also been head coach of the men's college basketball teams at Tuskegee University, Talladega College, Alabama State University, South Carolina State University, University of Denver and Alabama A&M University. Jobe has also served as assistant coach at the University of South Carolina, Georgia Tech, and briefly served as an assistant with the NBA's Denver Nuggets.[1]

Early career

Ben Jobe was raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Pearl High School in Nashville where he was a successful basketball player. In 1950, Jobe earned all-district and all-state honors and was then named to the 1951 all-national high school team.

Jobe then enrolled at Fisk University, earning All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors during his junior and senior seasons. He earned a bachelor's degree from Fisk in 1956 and later went on to earn a master's degree from Tennessee State University. In 1958, Jobe began his coaching career at Cameron High School in Nashville, Tennessee. His first (and only) Cameron team won 24 games, a school record. After the season was over, Jobe decided to move to Sierra Leone, West Africa, to coach a junior college basketball team. Jobe's coaching had a quick effect: his teams posted back-to-back undefeated seasons.[2]

Jobe returned to the United States and began coaching at Talladega College in Alabama, a position which he held for three years.

Coach of Southern University Jaguars

Ben Jobe took the helm of the Southern University Jaguars in 1986. He stayed on until 1996. He returned again to Southern in 2001 for two more seasons, retiring completely from college basketball in 2003. In 12 years at Southern, Jobe compiled a 209–141 record, led the Jaguars to the NCAA tournament four times, went to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) once, won five Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, won 11 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships.

Perhaps his most memorable moment as a college basketball coach was the Jaguars' 93–78 win over the then ACC Champions, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, during the first round of the 1993 NCAA tournament in Tucson, Arizona.

Jobe coached former San Antonio Spurs star guard (former coach of the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks) Avery Johnson and late Charlotte Hornets player Bobby Phills.

Upon his retirement from Southern in 2003, Jobe had accumulated 524 wins as a head coach in college basketball spread among 8 teams over 31 seasons (a 0.611 win percentage).[citation needed]

Family and death

Jobe and his wife, Regina, had two children, Bryan and Gina.[3]

Jobe died on March 10, 2017, with his funeral held at Resurrection Church in Montgomery, Alabama.[4]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Talladega Tornadoes (NAIA independent) (1964–1967)
1964–65 Talladega 14–8
1965–66 Talladega 17–6
1966–67 Talladega 14–7
Talladega: 45–21
Alabama State Hornets (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1967–1968)
1967–68 Alabama State 18–7 7–5 T–6th
Alabama State: 18–7 7–5
South Carolina State Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1968–1971)
1968–69 South Carolina State 20–5 14–3
1969–70 South Carolina State 21–7 11–4 NAIA First Round
1970–71 South Carolina State 20–7 12–9
South Carolina State Bulldogs (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (1971–1973)
1971–72 South Carolina State 15–11 6–6 5th
1972–73 South Carolina State 17–14 3–9 T–5th
South Carolina State: 93–44 46–31
Denver Pioneers (NCAA Division I independent) (1978–1980)
1978–79 Denver 15–12
1979–80 Denver 18–9
Denver: 33–21
Alabama A&M Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1982–1986)
1982–83 Alabama A&M 18–9 12–4 1st
1983–84 Alabama A&M 21–8 9–3 2nd
1984–85 Alabama A&M 21–10 11–5 T–1st NCAA Division II Regional Fourth Place
1985–86 Alabama A&M 23–9 12–4 1st NCAA Division II Regional Fourth Place
Alabama A&M: 83–36 44–16
Southern Jaguars (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1986–1996)
1986–87 Southern 19–12 9–5 T–2nd NCAA Division I First Round
1987–88 Southern 24–7 12–2 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1988–89 Southern 20–11 10–4 T–1st NCAA Division I First Round
1989–90 Southern 25–6 12–2 1st NIT First Round
1990–91 Southern 19–9 8–4 2nd
1991–92 Southern 18–12 9–5 3rd
1992–93 Southern 21–10 9–5 T–2nd NCAA Division I Second Round
1993–94 Southern 16–11 8–6 4th
1994–95 Southern 13–13 7–7 T–4th
1995–96 Southern 17–11 8–5 3rd
Tuskegee Golden Tigers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1996–2000)
1996–97 Tuskegee 7–20 2–14 6th (West)
1997–98 Tuskegee 8–19 4–10 4th (West)
1998–99 Tuskegee 15–13 9–7 3rd (West)
1999–00 Tuskegee 7–17 5–12 9th
Tuskegee: 37–69 20–43
Southern Jaguars (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (2001–2003)
2001–02 Southern 7–20 6–12 9th
2002–03 Southern 9–20 5–13 8th
Southern: 208–142 103–70
Total: 524–334

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ Bannister, Nikki G. (April 9, 2003). "Basketball Coach Ben Jobe Says Farewell to Southern and the Game". Black College Wire. Archived from the original on August 1, 2003.
  2. ^ "Onnidan News". Onnidan.com. 1996-08-21. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  3. ^ Rankin, Duane (July 11, 2013). "The potency of Jobe: Outspoken 80-year-old basketball icon reflects on life, sport". Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013.
  4. ^ "Longtime Southern coach Ben Jobe, a 'great basketball mind,' dies at 84 | Southern". Theadvocate.com. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2017-03-14.