Ready for Big Things: The Coaching Career of Luther Jones (CH 2K8)

[vicebeliever42]

Ready for Big Things: Coaching Career of Luther Jones

Reporter: “It’s official coach! You made school history winning back-to-back State Championships! What are you feeling right now?!”

Luther: “Are you kidding me?! Forget me! It’s all about these players that I’ve been coaching! I couldn’t do this without their cooperation! It’s been a blast since the first day I started coaching the varsity team 4 years ago! All the supporters and fans out there this one’s for you!”

Reporter: “Maybe one of the most skilled high school coaches in the state of Indiana, congrats to the Lawrence North High Wildcats on winning their second championship under Coach Luther Jones!”

Luther Jones was top 15 in his class when he played high school basketball having stellar years. Instead of being like the traditional top high school player and commit and play in D-1 competition he decided to stay home and go to a community college and pursue his dream of being a coach. Luther was very passionate about the “X’s and O’s” always spending time with his coach learning all he can about the career and it's expectations. After graduating high school he started his first coaching job at the age of 18 coaching the junior high/middle school level. Finally getting the head coaching job at Lawrence North High School, the high school he graduated from, at the age of 23.

Making his presence known in the coaching world he gave the fans and students of Lawrence North what they needed most; hope. First year as the varsity head coach after the Wildcats coming off a terrible season Lawrence North Varsity Basketball Team made it to the semi-final round of the State Playoffs. He’s not great at game planning but when it comes to anything going on during the game he was considered a genius. At the age of 25 he was the youngest high school coach to win a state championship and the youngest to win back-to-back championships. With his rise into coaching stardom many small D-1 colleges wanted him to coach their team, but he turned them down until now.

Summer of 2007…



AD: “There’s no doubt that I’m excited to bring this man in to coach our school. Everyone in attendance I proudly present to the new head basketball coach of the Eastern Illinois Panthers…Mr. Luther Jones!”

Luther walks to the conference table and stands with the athletic director shaking hands and exchanging a few friendly words.

They finally sit and continue with the press conference.

AD: “This man has made history in the state of Indiana. He turned around a school that couldn’t stay up to par with what it use to be and brought it back to it’s winning ways. Just turning 27 in March I see a bright future for our program.”

Luther: “It’s good to be here and working with this program. I turned down many schools and honestly I nearly turned this one down as well, but after thinking things through…coming to Eastern Illinois University is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I always dreamed of coaching D-1 basketball and now this is my chance. I’m ecstatic to be here. I’ve told the athletic director what I plan on doing while I’m here and just because I like y'all I’m going to say to everyone what I said to him.”

Luther clears his throat, looks over at the athletic director, then finally continues.

Luther: “I, the new head basketball coach of the Eastern Illinois Panthers, declare that I will turn this program around into a school that can compete. I can’t promise that I will turned this program around my first year coaching like I did my first year coaching high school ball. This is the collegiate level, I know how difficult this will be and I am aware of the hard work I have to put in to fulfill my goals. With my assistant coaches Andrew Barley and Rico Toppert I will grow. People profile me as a man with high charisma, though young, I am great at taking authority-I know how to handle my players. I know that I’m average at game planning but once out there on the sidelines in the midst of the game I know what needs to be done. I promise you after a 10-20 season this program is gonna go nowhere but up starting with being involved in the postseason either a NCAA tournament bid or playing in the NIT…that's just a taste of my hard pitch to the AD over there.”

AD: “A taste is all they really need, Luther. We agreed on a 2 year contract for now but depending on how well he turns this team around we may add another year or two…who knows.”

Luther: “Sir, I won’t let you down, I won’t let the players down, and I certainly won’t let the fans down.”

[vicebeliever42]

I'm happy to restart my posting career with a new legacy I will be starting with the 2007-08 season for that's pretty much the only roster I have saved on file. I will be doing season recaps just for right now slowly as the seasons go by I'll be going more in depth in the seasons. I hope you all enjoy this, reply if you'll following, and this will be an interesting legacy I promise you.

[vicebeliever42]

Coaching Stats

Quote:

Coaching Record: Season School Record NCAA Tournament Results 2007-2008 E. Illinois 16-13 N/A 2008-2009 E. Illinois 25-8 1st Round (#11 Seed) 2009-2010 E. Illinois 32-4 Elite Eight (#5 Seed) 2010-2011 E. Illinois 35-4 Championship Game (#3 Seed) 2011-2012 San Diego St. 32-6 Final Four (#1 Seed) 2012-2013 San Diego St. 36-3 National Champions (#1 Seed) 2013-2014 Arkansas 21-11 First Round (#7 Seed) --------------------------------------------------- 7 years 197-49 NCAA Tournament Record: 19-5 NIT Record: 0-0 Conference Record: 102-26

[vicebeliever42]

Career Achievements

20 Win Seasons - 6
Regular Season Championships - 5
Tournament Championships - 4
NCAA Tournament bids - 6
NCAA Sweet Sixteens - 4
NCAA Elite Eights - 4
NCAA Final Fours - 3
NCAA Championships - 1
Preseason #1 Rankings - 0
Conference Coach of the Year - 4
National Coach of the Year - 1
All-Conference players - 17
All-American players - 1
National Players of the Year - 0
Pro Draftees - 2

[vicebeliever42]

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[vicebeliever42]

It was a early Thursday morning when Luther arrived in Charleston, Illinois. His press conference was the next morning but Luther wanted to do some early homework and read up on his team's past season and tried his best to get to know the players he would have returning next season based off stat sheets. Using the info he already had Coach only knows a hint of what his players can do. Sunday is the day he would see these players of his show off what they can do personally. Luther is the type of coach who has that eye for real talent and he loves to showcase that talent while making them overcome their weaknesses. Coach Jones is so anxious to see his players Sunday just seems so far away.


His roster would have 4 Seniors returning. However just 2 were projected starters. With Coach Luther at the helms now only one was able to remain a starter leaving the other 4 spots to 1 junior, 2 sophomores, and 1 freshman. The best player on this team is 5'11 JR PG Mike Robinson (70/84 steals) but backing him up is 6'4 SR SG Julio Anthony (67) and 6'3 SO SG Romain Martin (66/80 3pt), all have put points on the board the previous season while Robinson was and is the best defender. They had the talent Coach Jones knew he could work with. Robinson is running the show starting at PG like last season. The SG and SF spots belong to Martin and Anthony, Martin did not start last season but his hard work paid off as he gets the nod for the SG spot. PF and C were easy choices giving 6'8 SO C Ousmane Cisse (60/82 def boards) the starting PF spot and 6'11 FR C Matt Dorlack (61) the starting C spot. Luther has 10 players who were going to suit up for him with 6'1 FR PG Tyler Laser (58/75 3pt), 6'6 Redshirted SR SG Bobby Catchings (62), 6'4 JR SF Billy Parrish (58), 6'8 SO PF Justin Brock (57), and 6'8 SR C Jake Byrne (57) close out the rotation.

[Deuce2223]

Looking forward to seeing you turn the Panthers around. I remember when the game first came out I ran a E. Illinois legacy and Martin and Laser are both have the ability to put up some points via the 3pt and Cisse and Dorlack are both underated bigmen who play better then their ratings.

[vicebeliever42]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

Looking forward to seeing you turn the Panthers around. I remember when the game first came out I ran a E. Illinois legacy and Martin and Laser are both have the ability to put up some points via the 3pt and Cisse and Dorlack are both underated bigmen who play better then their ratings.

I played with em before but it wasn't much so I only got a taste of these guys. I'll tell you this though I'm really loving Martin and Dorlack so far.