BOCA RATON – FAU athletic director Pat Chun invoked the name of another FAU coaching legend when he introduced Jim Jabir as the Owls’ new women’s basketball coach.
“You’re probably the most accomplished head coach we’ve hired here since Howard Schnellenberger,” Chun told Jabir.
That’s high praise considering that a few months back Chun hired former USC and Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin to coach the Owls’ football team and former NBA player and coach Michael Curry currently guides the men’s basketball team.
After coaching a team that went 3-25 in his first year at Dayton, Jabir took six Flyers’ teams to the NCAA tournament, reaching the Elite Eight in 2015.
Jabir is the all-time wins leader at Dayton, posting a record of 238-140 in 13 seasons.
Twice the Atlantic 10 named Jabir its Coach of the Year. Dayton completed the 2015 season ranked No. 17 nationally.
His also coached at Buffalo State, Siena, Marquette, and Providence.
Jabir spent the past three months coaching in Denmark.
“Coach Jabir brings an extraordinary track record of developing student-athletes at championship levels and will make an immediate and lasting impact on our student-athletes, basketball program, and university.” Chun said.
Jabir considers himself a family-oriented man, meaning that character plays a huge part in his recruiting process.
“I don’t care very much if you’re a great player if you’re not a great person – I’m too old for that,” Jabir said. “We’re gonna recruit really good kids, who can play.”
FAU has been without a head coach since firing Kellie Lewis-Jay following the completion of their 4-25 season that included a 19-game losing streak to end the season. FAU didn’t win a game in Conference USA.
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