Barton head coach Jeremy Coombs named DI Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
Charlotte, NC - Barton head coach Jeremy Coombs has been named the 2023-24 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.
In just three seasons as the Cougars' head coach, Coombs led Barton to its first national title in program history.
Barton finished with a program record of 36-1 on the season, including 21-0 away from their home court, and finished with a program second-best 27-game winning streak. The Cougars went into the preseason ranked No. 19 and slowly transitioned into the No.1 team beginning in week thirteen. They took their lone loss of the season against Cowley in week four. After that week, the Cougars did not lose another game for the rest of the season.
Prior to his time at Barton, Coombs spent 14 seasons at Neosho County. Coombs left Neosho as the all-time winningest coach in program history with a record of 228-203. Under Coombs, the Neosho County men's basketball program produced six NJCAA All-Americans, two KJCCC Players of the Year, thirty NCAA Division I players, twenty-four All-Conference players, seventeen All-Region players, and thirteen former players playing professional basketball. Before his stint with Neosho County, Coombs also coached at Highland and Pratt as an assistant coach.
Under the leadership of third-year head coach Jeremy Coombs, the Barton Cougars went into the 2024 DI Men's Basketball national tournament as the No.1 seed. The Cougars held the No.1 spot all the way through the end, becoming the first team since 2004 to defeat its national tournament opponents by double-digits, including closing out the season with an 88-73 win against No.7 seeded Triton to bring home their first-ever national title.
Trevor Rolfs, Athletic Director- "Jeremy Coombs is one of the very best coaches in all of college basketball. From his ability to recruit talented players, and the investment he makes in those players once they have committed to his program, everything about how he manages people is top-notch. Everyone in his program from the players, assistant coaches, and managers know that Coach Coombs cares deeply about them, and will invest heavily in their development. The family atmosphere of his program leads to the players' unselfish nature on and off the court. Simply put, under his guidance, this family-first theme has been the recipe for his team's continued success throughout his career."
Austin Downing, Assistant Coach- "Coach Coombs is one of my favorite human beings in the world and I am just thankful for the opportunity to work alongside him daily. Ever since the first conversation I had with him in 2016 when he recruited me to Neosho County, I knew that he was a great coach who had nothing but love for all of his players. Beyond the basketball court, Coombs has been there for my family and I on multiple occasions and we can't thank him enough. To be a part of his first national championship team is a blessing to me because I know all the time and effort that he puts in every day behind the scenes. I know there's not another HC in the country that works harder than him and he deserves all the good that's happening in his life and then some!"
Tyson Downing, Assistant Coach- "Coach Coombs is a true players coach. He goes above and beyond to help out the players and assistant coaches reach their full potential on and off the court. Coombs preaches family and stands on business in all aspects of life. As a leader he is strong and compassionate, understanding everyone has different ways of learning and growing. His impact is unmeasurable because of all the players who come through his system who continue his legacy and life teachings. A remarkable Father, Son, and Coach."
Todd Moore, Sports Information Director- "Early in the season we could see this team had the potential for great things. It boiled down to Coach Coombs' (and assistant coaches Austin Downing and Tyson Downing) leadership and guidance, and credit to all the players' buy-in for goals above themselves and for the betterment of the team. Coach Coombs and his staff worked tireless hours to prepare while making on-court decisions and strategies other teams couldn't counter. Winning is great but Coach Coombs assembled a team of men that were just as good off the court with countless community interactions that made it easy to root for them regardless of the on-court success."
