"Both Brandon and Zane bring a high level of character, energy, enthusiasm and experience to our program. We've had former players of coach Kaundart talk to our team. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); HoopDirt is your source for the latest college basketball coaching news, rumors, and job postings. During his 19 seasons at Northside, Kaundart led the Grizzlies to five state championships with the last coming in 1974, capping off a magical 30-0 championship season. It was a really, really special night for a very special person.". Your email address will not be published. Our vision is to build a championship quality program, a program that will compete for conference, regional and national prominence. A native of Fort Smith, Bailey is a former UAFS basketball player and former UAFS assistant men's basketball coach and head men's cross country coach. It means so much to be able to come back and coach the Lions. The letter described what the Williamses called a racist act by Boone in regards to the Tyler Williams dreadlocks hairstyle. Ekezie, Drew "Coach Kaundart had all the stats, but you don't really honor someone just because of stats," Janz said. But Jerry West was watching and noted to the general manager that there was only one person here that could help the team. Boone said through the entire situation, his and his coaching staffs main focus was the team. That couldn't be more true with coach Kaundart. Listen live on Fox Sports Radio 103.5 or watch on the LSC Digital Network! Miller, Evan In 2017-18, the Statesmen made their third consecutive trip to the GSC semifinals, making Delta State the only school to do that in each of the last three seasons, and in 2016-17, he led the Statesmen to their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, where they advanced to the second round and closed the year with a 23-9 record. But Janz was reminded often during the recent celebration of the school's former coach why Kaundart really earned the arena being named after him. The page you are looking for no longer exists. Prior to joining Newmans staff at UAFS, Bailey spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Arizona State. Copyright Talk Business & Politics 2017. The right-hander tied his own program record with a 13-strikeout performance while . That just shows the impact coach Kaundart made.". We are a program that is founded upon simplicity, fundamentals and their execution. FORT SMITH, Ark. Cadeaux de Dieu, Lukas It has always been about the size of your heart and the strength of your character. 2023 University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Athletics, Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act Report 2022, Guide For The College-Bound Student Athlete, UAFS Athletics Announces Search for Head Men's Basketball Coach, Lions cap season with sweep of Eagles on Senior Day, Lions to host Oklahoma Christian in regular season finale, Basketball programs have four earn CSC Academic All-District honors, Miller nets career-high 22 against Greyhounds. jim.boone@uafs.edu Phone 479-788-7592 Twitter @CoachJimBoone Career Record: 590-453 Jim Boone enters his fourth season as the UAFS mentor in 2021-22, but his 37th overall as a head coach at the NCAA Division I and II levels. Irby, Evan In a letter sent to Talk Business and Politics, signed by Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Williams and Tyler Williams, it stated, Tyler did not choose to leave UAFS Mens Basketball team on his own accord; Boone dismissed him. Prior to his initial meeting with Boone, Williams had already completed course enrollment for the fall semester, completed a UAFS housing agreement and moved into his housing suite at UAFS, the letter stated. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. During his era, King played with and against NBA legends Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Oscar Robertson among many others. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Whorton compiled a 648-277 overall win-loss record at the NJCAA and NCAA Division II levels over a 30-year span with 19 20-win seasons and six 30-win seasons, the university reported Monday (Dec. 6). Everything excites me about the university from the gorgeous campus, the direction of the athletics program under the leadership of Curtis Janz and his staff, the outstanding tradition of UAFS basketball and the entire Fort Smith community. Boone finished his time with a school-record 228 wins and a .763 win percentage. UAFS also won back-to-back Heartland Conference Championships (2012-13 and 2013-14) while Bailey was on staff, and the Lions entered the 2014 NCAA National Tournament ranked 16th nationally. A letter by Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Williams and Tyler Allen Williams, a former UAFS student and basketball player, was posted on Facebook Aug. 31. UAFS coach Jim Boone had been counting down the days until the team camp started. This past season, the Cardinals finished 19-14 overall and 11-7 in the Southland Conference, qualified for the conference tournament and received a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. McAdams was hired to lead the UAFS women's basketball program on July 12, 2021 following four seasons as the top assistant at New Mexico State. Though Boones apology and words were welcomed, not everyone felt it was enough. "The highlights for me was hearing all the stories people had to tell about coach Kaundart. In a letter sent to the UAFS Athletics on Friday, February 24, Boone announced his intention to retire from basketball after 38 years of service and over 600 career wins. Boone, a native of Winfield, W.Va., has been a collegiate head coach for 33 seasons at the NCAA Division I and II levels. The Grizzlies and Lady Bears up until last year played at Kaundart-Grizzly Fieldhouse, which was their home since the 1965 season. Ingram, Jim Defensively, I expect we will play a lot of pressure defense.. There is so much to do, and its important to remain focused on our priorities and on creating a championship culture, Boone said. Bailey played in 29 games during his second season and was the Lions fourth-leading scorer with 7.8 points per game. "Coach Boone will develop an elite level basketball program here at UAFS," Janz said. (KFSM) The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS) is investigating allegations of racism after a former basketball player accused the head coach of singling out people . This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. After the first hour, we took five minutes to get a drink of water, and we were going to practice for another hour. Under Boones leadership, the Bobcats (22-9) defeated perennial NCAA Division II power Winston Salem State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournamentbefore falling to West Liberty State. I thought there were more important issues to be discussed, he said. 28 Feb 2023 18:14:38 Offical Twitter of the University of Arkansas- Fort Smith Men's Basketball Managers #1MORE link to our schedule to stream games below. In the posted letter, Williams and his parents said Boone, who was hired as the coach to replace Justin Bailey, who resigned in March, told Williams he did not like hair like his and he would not recruit players who had hair like his. "This university has been lucky to have many influential people. Chappell said he is excited about joining Newman's staff and helping to continue to build on the program's success. community participation and a balanced approach to student-athlete development.. #RunToTheRoar . His coaching career brought him back to his alma mater, spending three seasons as the head assistant coach and primary recruiter from 1982-85 at WVSC. The show will air from 6-7 p.m. and can be heard on Fox Sports Radio FM 103.5 and will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. Chappell played four seasons at NCAA Division I Lamar University, where he averaged 8.4 points per game during his senior season. RT @UAFSSports: The UAFS Basketball Coaches Show returns tonight at Walk-On's from 6-7 p.m.! FORT SMITH, Arkansas. He earned his bachelors degree in Accounting (1981) and followed that with a masters in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky (1982) with a concentration in Marketing. He said he knows his words were not well chosen and he offended many in the community. The class consists of guards Terrell Kabala, Drew Miller, Dalton Gayman, Payton Brown and forward Justus Cooper. Kaundart's family, wife Ruth, and sons Wes and Wyatt, were honored during the celebration. The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved the resolution to honor the Hall of Fame coach with the arena being named after him Nov. 22, 2019. Our priority will always be about the young people, our students. A nationwide search for a new head coach in mens basketball at the UAFS will begin immediately. The ear-to-ear smiles and the roaring laughs. On Sept. 11, Riley reported that the universitys EOC officer did not find substantial evidence to support the claim of race discrimination but that the process revealed a need for better communications when addressing a sensitive matter, particularly when raised by a student. In her statement, Riley said the UAFS athletics department will not condone or allow a policy, procedure, or practice conveyed verbally or in writing to dictate the hair styles or hair lengths for its student athletes. Riley also said she would allocate resources to hire a director of campus diversity and inclusion. Tyler Williams was one of those students and was released without cause, Good said. Boone said he will continue to focus on the players, knowing UAFS is a place where they can have tremendous young men in the basketball program, who can be great student athletes who graduate, and where they can have a championship basketball program. During his time with the Vulcans, Boones 1992 squad posted 31 wins and was the number one team in the country. In 2013-14, Boone led the Statesmen to one of their best seasons in program history, as they captured the Gulf South Conference regular-season title and made a run to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16. During his time with the Lions, he helped recruit and produce seven All-Conference selections including two first-team picks two freshmen of the year, a defensive player of the year and an All-American. http://www.uafortsmithlions.com/news/2018/6/27/mens-basketball-no-place-like-home-uafs-alum-bailey-returns-to-coach-lions.aspx. He noted that of the 13 players on the team, seven are new to UAFS this season. 354 talking about this. His success simply speaks for itself. 11/11/2022 1:15:00 PM. "I'm super excited to be here with all the things that coach Newman has done and what we hope to continue to do and all the success he's had on and off the floor," Gibson said. Listen live on Fox Sports Radio 103.5 or watch on the LSC Digital Network! We are not as much about running plays as we are about teaching our players how to play. The Lions also set a school record for single-season wins and being ranked in both national polls the entire season, peaking at No. UPDATED FOR 2023: Click to view our FULL LIST of coaching changes at EVERY LEVEL of college basketball. Indianapolis jumped two spots to occupy the No. Over the next 10 years, Boone led California (Pa.) to unprecedented success, including a 228-71 record. The Alma native was a standout player and coach that was good enough to earn him membership in four different halls of fame during his lifetime. During his career, Boones teams have won seven conference championships, four tournament titles and have made 11 postseason appearances. Culture is very important to me, and Justin will build a positive, high energy, trusting culture. They chose not to do that, which I think was a good decision, because they didnt want me to become a focal point of something that was supposed to be much bigger than me in terms of the discussion that was being held, Boone said. In a press release sent to the media by Fort Smith City Director Andr Good on behalf of Sebastian County NAACP President Jerry Jennings, the association said it seeks transparency and justice in the matter. On Sept. 2, UAFS Chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley announced that an allegation of race discriminationhad been reported by a former player against the universitys head basketball coach. Over the next 10 years, Boone led California (Pa.) to unprecedented success, including a 228-71 record. He has an outstanding basketball mind and the eagerness to be successful," Newman said. I didnt not want to be what it was about. UAFS honors Fort Smith coaching legend Kaundart, Ruth Kaundart, wife of legendary University of Arkansas at Fort Smith basketball coach Gayle Kaundart, is honored Dec. 8 during halftime of a men's basketball game in Gayle Kaundart Arena in Fort Smith. From California (Pa.), Boone moved on to the challenge of rebuilding NCAA Division I Robert Morris University, eventually leading the Colonials to the NEC Championship game in 2000. He was named PSAC Coach of the Year on three occasions (1988, 1992, 1996) and NCAA Region Coach Year twice (1992, 1996). UAFS men's basketball coaches are taking part in this year's "Suits and Sneakers Week" presented by NABC's Coaches vs Cancer. - Fort Smith is led by coaching legend Jim Boone, who is in his third year with the program but 36th year of coaching overall at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. Boone began his career as a standout player at West Virginia State College, where he was a four-year letterman. Chappell was previously a graduate assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division I Northern Arizona University for two seasons. The day I toured Fort Smith and walked through campus I knew immediately it was a very special place and a tremendous opportunity for our family, Boone said. His 94-24 league record in the PSAC is still the best of any coach in that conferences history. Nova Southeastern, the only undefeated team left in Division II, stayed in the top spot in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 Poll for the second week in a row. The buzz that event created throughout the week was phenomenal.". The senior-laden Lions also made their fourthnational tournament appearance in five seasons. "There were a lot of smiles and laughter," Janz said. We want to do our due diligence in selecting the right people, young men of character and integrity that fit our culture, Boone said. We will be a hard-working offense that shares the basketball, we will play together and value teamwork, we will value taking care of the ball and we will take great shots. UPDATED FOR 2023: Click to view our FULL LIST of coaching changes at EVERY LEVEL of college basketball. Boone also added two NCAA DII Final Four appearances, six regular season conference titles and six trips to the NCAA Tournament at the helm of the Vulcans. Bush was a big part of the offense during that stretch, as he had two steals and easy baskets . O'Neil, Caleb Ruth Kaundart, wife of legendary University of Arkansas at Fort Smith basketball coach Gayle Kaundart, is honored Dec. 8 during halftime of a men's basketball game in Gayle Kaundart Arena in Fort Smith. We will be up-tempo offensively and get the ball up the floor in transition. UAFS finished tied for first place in the conference, earning its seventhberth in the conference tournament. The resume of Kaundart matches up with the best to ever coach basketball in the state of Arkansas. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ab11c6ffa58855b182a1cc371b3cc353" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Boone said Wednesday he did not attend the forum because he thought doing so would be inappropriate and detract from the purpose of the forum. Offensively, we will play a style that our fans and the Fort Smith community will identify with and will love. Following up on something HoopDirt.com first mentioned over the weekend (D2 DIRT). Boone was named GSC Coach of the Year, marking theseventh time in his career he has captured such an honor. "UAFS is home for Justin. All rights reserved. 2023 www.swtimes.com. Iyamah, Payton A lot of smiles and laughs but tears as well. Chappell helped lead the Cardinals to three conference tournament appearances. Big congrats to @CoachJimBoone on his career, which was capped off with a 600-win milestone this year. Former head coach Jim Boon resigned at the end of the season. It is important to him to have a program that develops young men . The tears, too. But I just really felt at the end of the day it would have been inappropriate for me to have attended.. UAFS Athletics announces search for head coach for mens basketball team. , Payton a lot of smiles and laughter, '' Janz said counting. 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