Call me Dr. J

Since men's basketball Coach James Jones took the helm of the Bulldogs two seasons ago, attendance at basketball games has averaged 1,593 spectators, a 52 percent increase over the five years prior to his arrival. While the Bulldogs' rise from having a 2-12 record to vying for the Ivy title in a mere three seasons may be one reason for the renewed fan enthusiasm, one glance towards the sidelines provides an equally compelling explanation.

MELISSA GARREN/YH

Comparing Jones to former Head Coach Dick Kuchen, notes senior point guard Isaiah Cavaco, JE '01, notes, "The shiny dome does more for women than the flop mop. My most successful pickup line when I go to clubs in the greater New Haven area is, 'Hey baby, I'm friends with Coach Jones.' It has a 94 percent success rate." Though Jones claims to use no shine-enhancing cranial products, he admits, "I have had women who I don't know come up and want to rub my head."

It's no coincidence Jones's idols have included "Dr. J" Julius Erving and Michael Jordan. Jones shares an important quality with two of the hardest working and classiest players of all time, according to Assistant Coach Curtis Wilson: "He's smooth, definitely smooth." His players agree. Cavaco points to Jones's sartorial flair, noting, "The fact that he looks like a GQ model on the sideline, with his slick head and Armani suits, sets him far above any other coach, bar none." When pressed, Jones admits he finds his shoulders to be his most appealing feature, and says his Stairmaster workouts are an important part of his daily regimin: "I feel good when I get a sweat up...I'm on and off before you know it."

Enthusiasm for the game and the ability to motivate his players are the keys to Jones's charisma as a coach. He admires Jordan as "the greatest basketball player ever" because of his single-minded dedication. Jones has demanded nothing less of his own players, earning a reputation as a tireless motivator able to push them to perform—and they have certainly responded. Long-time Yale basketball fan and roommate of Cavaco, Matt Miesionczek, JE '01, notes, "Under Coach Jones, Isaiah has scored a lot. Coach Jones has been like a dose of Viagra for Yale basketball."

Though he admits to having "a few basketball groupies" when he played for the State University of New York at Albany, the 37-year-old Jones is now happily married with a four-year old daughter, and notes that his affection for musicians such as Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and the Temptations are a sign that he's "gotten old."

See:

• Oh so Neiss..., By Aaron Lichtig

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