Norfolk State University Men's Basketball

Robert Jones Coaching Record Year University Record Pct. Conference Record Finish Postseason 2013-14 NSU 19-15 .559 MEAC 11-5 T-3rd MEAC Semis/CIT First Round 2014-15 NSU 20-14 .588 MEAC 12-4 2nd MEAC Semis/CIT First Round 2015-16 NSU 17-17 .500 MEAC 12-4 T-2nd MEAC Semis/CIT First Round 2016-17 NSU 17-17 .500 MEAC 12-4 2nd MEAC Final/CIT First Round 2017-18 NSU 14-19 .424 MEAC 11-5 T-4th MEAC Quarterfinals 2018-19 NSU 22-14 .611 MEAC 14-2 1st MEAC Final/NIT Second Round 2019-20 NSU 16-15 .516 MEAC 12-4 T-2nd N/A * 2020-21 NSU 17-8 .680 MEAC 8-4 T-1st North MEAC Champs/NCAA First Four & First Round 2021-22 NSU 24-7 .774 MEAC 12-2 1st MEAC Champs/NCAA First Round 2022-23 NSU 22-11 .667 MEAC 9-5 3rd MEAC Final 2023-24 NSU 24-11 .685 MEAC 11-3 1st MEAC Semifinals/CIT Champions 2024-25 NSU 24-11 .685 MEAC 11-3 T-1st MEAC Champs/NCAA First Round Total NSU 236-159 .597 MEAC 135-45 .750 * No Postseason due to COVID-19 Robert Jones Instruction DVD 'Floppy Defense' for Championship Productions Head coach Robert Jones sets out on his 13th season leading the Norfolk State men’s basketball program in 2025-26 and his 19th year overall with the Spartans. Over the course of his decorated career, Jones has racked up over 200 wins, secured three MEAC Tournament titles, and received three MEAC Coach of the Year awards.   Jones produced another exceptional season in 2024-25, sweeping the MEAC regular season and tournament titles to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth. The Spartans achieved the feat despite losing six letterwinners from the previous season.   Norfolk State produced a 24-11 overall record for the second consecutive season, going 11-3 to secure a share of the Spartans’ fifth MEAC regular season championship of Jones’ tenure. The Spartans came from behind in the MEAC Semifinal and Final, defeating South Carolina State 66-65 in a title game for the ages.   Jones continues to identify tremendous talent, bringing in the second consecutive MEAC Newcomer of the Year award winner for NSU: Brian Moore Jr. Moore averaged 18.1 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from behind the arc during the 2024-25 campaign, becoming just the second Spartan ever to win the College Insider Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year award.   Jones led Norfolk State to its first nonconference postseason championship in the program’s Division I history in 2024, defeating Purdue Fort-Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) title game. Christian Ings earned MVP honors for the event, helping the Spartans erase an 18-point deficit in the championship showdown.   Commanding NSU to a 24-11 overall record in 2023-24, Jones earned his third MEAC Coach of the Year accolade, as Norfolk State guard Jamarii Thomas took MEAC Player of the Year honors. Posting an 11-3 record in conference play, the Spartans earned their fourth MEAC regular season title of Jones’ tenure.   Norfolk State completed a nonconference slate that included a thrilling 63-60 win at VCU, the Spartans’ first victory over the Rams since 1972. NSU also secured took down Hampton 75-68 at Echols Hall, the team’s third consecutive triumph in the Battle of the Bay rivalry.   Jones has led NSU to a .747-win percentage in league play – fifth in the nation among coaches who have spent at least five years at their current institution – and made nine postseason appearances in 11 years of postseason play.   Jones led Norfolk State to the MEAC Final in 2023, finishing the year with a 22-11 overall record. The Spartans went 9-5 in conference play, earning the No. 3 seed in the MEAC Tournament. NSU defeated No. 6 seed Coppin State 73-56 in the quarterfinal round and won an overtime thriller 72-65 over North Carolina Central the next day to earn an appearance in the championship game. The Spartans nearly pulled off a third victory in three days, falling 65-64 to Howard in the title bout.   During the 2022-23 season, Norfolk State shined on some of the brightest stages, winning multiple games at showcase events. The Spartans defeated Alabama A&M 89-83 at the ATL Has Something to Say HBCU Challenge (Atlanta, Ga.), before besting Hampton 78-66 and North Carolina A&T (70-66) in the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge Hosted by Chris Paul (Las Vegas, Nev.). NSU beat Hampton a second time 83-71 on Feb. 4 for the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic (Newark, N.J.), hosted by Michael B. Jordan.   NSU guard Joe Bryant Jr. was named MEAC Player of the Year and BOXTOROW HBCU National Player of the Year for a second consecutive season in 2022-23, while senior Kris Bankston also earned All-MEAC First Team and BOXTOROW All-America First Team honors. Both players were also selected to participate in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT).   CollegeInsider.com named Jones a finalist for the 2022-23 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year and Skip Prosser Man of the Year awards. He was also selected to coach the 2nd Annual “Classic for Columbus” Basketball All-Star Game & Extravaganza, an all-star event that two of his players participated in as well (Bryant and Bankston).   Jones earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the second time of his career in 2022, leading the Spartans to a MEAC regular season title with a 12-2 conference record. The team finished 24-7 overall, its winningest season since the 2011-12 campaign, defeating Coppin State 72-57 in the MEAC Championship to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Jones was named MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach for the second consecutive year.   Norfolk State began the season 9-1, its best start in the program’s Division I history and the best-ever start at the Division I level for any MEAC program past or present. The Spartans defeated teams from the Ohio Valley, Mid-American, CAA, Big South, and SWAC during a dominant non-conference stretch. College Insider ranked NSU 16th in its final mid-major poll of the season.   During the historic season, three of Jones’ players received All-MEAC honors. Bankston and Jalen Hawkins landed on the conference’s second and third teams, respectively, while Bryant earned a spot on the first team. Bryant was named MEAC Player of the Year, the fourth recipient in Norfolk State program history,   In addition to his MEAC accolades, Jones was named the Ben Jobe HBCU Division I Coach of the Year and BOXTOROW Co-Coach of the Year, and was presented the College Insider Hugh Durham Award, presented annually to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball. He was also selected as the head coach of Team McLendon at the inaugural HBCU All-Star Game, leading the squad to a 79-75 victory.   Jones headed HBCUnited during an impressive run of The Basketball Tournament in July of 2022. The team defeated the region’s No. 1 and No. 5-seeded squads at Rucker Park in Jones’ hometown New York City.   After serving as an assistant coach on NSU’s first NCAA Tournament squad, Jones led the 2020-21 team to a share of the MEAC Northern Division title (8-4) in addition to the MEAC Championship. It marked the first time NSU won both the regular season and tournament titles in the same year. The Spartans went on to defeat Appalachian State, becoming the only current MEAC school to win two games in the NCAA Tournament. The program was named the HBCU Large School National Champion by the Black College Sports Network (BCSN).   Jones was named the MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach and the HBCU Co-Coach of the Year by HBCU All-Stars LLC/CBS Sports. He was a finalist for three CollegeInsider awards: Ben Jobe (top minority coach), Hugh Durham (top mid-major coach), and Skip Prosser (success on the court and integrity off the court). NSU went 17-8 overall in 2020-21, his seventh .500 or better overall record in eight years as head coach.   Jones led the Spartans to their second-ever regular season title in 2018-19 at 14-2, the second-most wins in the league in program history. NSU finished 22-14 overall for the most wins in Jones’ tenure and the second-most in the program’s Division I history. It also marked his second 20-win season along with the 2014-15 campaign. The Spartans capped it off by defeating No. 1 seed Alabama in the NIT first round, regarded as perhaps the biggest upset by point spread in NIT history.   In addition to earning the MEAC Coach of the Year Award, Jones was named the NABC District 15 Coach of the Year and the Skip Prosser Award winner. He later received the Norfolk Sports Club’s President’s Award for 2019, given in special acknowledgement and recognition of outstanding achievement.   He followed that campaign up with another strong season in 2019-20. NSU finished tied for second in the league standings at 12-4. They did the same in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, each year posting the same 12-4 record with a second-place finish. The Spartans have been no worse than tied for fourth in the league during his tenure, that coming in 2017-18 with an 11-5 MEAC record and 13 teams in the league. They finished 11-5 and tied for third in Jones’ first year in 2013-14 as well.   Jones’ overall head coaching mark now stands at 236-159, including 135-45 in MEAC play.   NSU took part in the CollegeInsider.com tournament for four seasons from 2014-17, before returning to the event in 2024. The program has made 10 postseason berths at the Division I level altogether, including eight under Jones and one each in 2012 (NCAA) and 2013 (NIT) during his last two years as an assistant coach.   Only once in Jones’ 17 seasons as either an assistant or head coach has NSU finished outside the top 4 in the regular season standings. In fact, Norfolk State is currently fourth in the nation in D-I basketball for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records, now at 26 years and counting heading into the 2024-25 campaign. Every other team in the MEAC has had at least one losing conference record since 2017-18. NSU is also tied for fifth for most consecutive top 4 conference finishes (13th) in the nation.   Jones has been named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award a total of nine times, winning the award 2022. He was a finalist in 2019 for the Hugh Durham Award and in 2014 for the Joe B. Hall Award, presented by CollegeInsider to the most outstanding first-year D-I head coach.   He has coached numerous outstanding players during his time at NSU, including 34 All-MEAC honorees as head coach. NSU had a first-team player nine times out of 10 years from 2008-17, and at least one all-conference honoree every year except one from 2004 until now. In 2018-19, the Spartans had a program record five players earn All-MEAC honors.   In Jones’ first year in 2013-14, meanwhile, senior Pendarvis Williams was named AP All-America honorable mention and also earned a spot on the Lou Henson All-America Team for mid-major players. He later competed in the Reese’s College All-Star Game at the 2014 Final Four and with the Houston Rockets Summer League team in Las Vegas before going on to a professional career in the NBA G League and Europe.   Williams is also one of numerous players Jones has coached at Norfolk State who have gone on to play professionally, including eight-year NBA veteran Kyle O’Quinn. Just during his head coaching tenure, a total of 20 players have finished their NSU careers and competed professionally.   Under Jones, NSU has set D-I program records for best scoring margin and turnover margin (four times), rebounds per game, fewest turnovers per game, best turnover margin, points, field goals, 3-pointers, 3-point field goal attempts, and 3-point field goal percentage (three times each); rebounds, assists, assist-turnover ratio, field goal attempts, and fewest losses (all twice); and field goal percentage, steals, assist average, defensive field goal percentage, best rebounding margin, free throws made and free throw percentage (all once). In 2022-23, NSU averaged 75.8 points per game, the program’s most since 1999-2000.   Jones was named the interim head coach of the NSU basketball team on April 15, 2013, following the departure of former head coach Anthony Evans. A former assistant coach with the Spartans, Jones’ interim title was removed in February of 2014 during that first year leading the program.   During the 2012-13 season, Jones served as the associate head coach. It marked his sixth straight year as an assistant coach with the program, all under Evans. It was the last two years of that tenure, though, that the Spartans really began to flourish.   After capturing the MEAC tournament title in 2012 and upsetting No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans captured the conference’s regular season title in 2013 with a 16-0 record and earned the league’s automatic bid to the NIT. It marked just the fourth time ever a MEAC school ran the table during the regular season, a remarkable accomplishment considering NSU lost four of its five starters from that 2012 championship team.   The Spartans won their first regular-season title since finishing in a tie for first in the CIAA Northern Division in 1994-95. They were also one of three schools nationally in 2012-13 to go undefeated in conference play along with Gonzaga and Memphis. Heading into the MEAC tournament, NSU’s 15-game win streak stood as the second-longest in the nation at the time.   NSU went 21-12 overall in 2012-13, the second 20-win season in two years after its 26-10 campaign during the 2011-12 campaign.   During his six-year tenure as an assistant coach, two of Jones’ primary responsibilities included developing the perimeter players and serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator. His prowess on the recruiting trail was key to NSU making a turnaround beginning in 2011-12, and the story of his biggest catch was played out in the national media during NSU’s 86-84 upset of Missouri that season.   The star of the game, senior center O’Quinn, was one of Jones’ first recruits at NSU. Making the story headline-worthy was the fact O’Quinn, an unheralded high school player who only really played his senior year, received one D-I offer in high school – that from the Spartan basketball program.   O’Quinn became the centerpiece of the 2011-12 team that won its first-ever MEAC title and finished with the most wins (26) in 17 years. His stock continued to rise following a very successful senior year, including his 26-point, 14-rebound effort against the Tigers, as well as through his MVP performance at the Portsmouth Invitational. The Orlando Magic later selected O’Quinn with the 49th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, NSU’s first draft pick since 1988.   O’Quinn made his regular season debut with the Magic on Nov. 2, 2012 against Denver, becoming the first NSU player to appear in a regular season NBA game since David Pope during the 1985-86 campaign. That same year back at NSU, Pendarvis Williams followed in O’Quinn’s footsteps by being named the 2013 MEAC Player of the Year one season after O’Quinn captured the award.   After arriving at NSU following the promotion of Evans to the head coaching position in 2007, Jones became an essential part in the Spartans’ continued rise during Evans’ six-year head coaching stint.   In his first year as assistant coach in 2007-08, Jones helped the Spartans secure their second winning record as a D-I program with a 16-15 overall record. NSU also notched what at the time was its best-ever MEAC record at 11-5, tying for second place in the regular-season standings. A year later in 2009, the program made its first MEAC Tournament title game appearance. Three years after that in 2012, the Spartans finished second in the regular season standings at 13-3 and won the MEAC Championship.   Jones came to NSU after spending two seasons in 2005-07 as the head varsity boys basketball coach at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, N.Y. His teams compiled a 32-15 record competing in New York's highest classification (Class AA). Under Jones' direction, St. Mary's advanced to two consecutive Nassau-Suffolk Catholic League championship games. As head coach, Jones sent three of his players to D-I institutions. One of those was former Spartan forward Marcos Tamares, a key member of the 2012 MEAC Championship team.   Jones was the head freshman team coach and an assistant varsity coach at St. Mary's in 2004-05. That year, the varsity team went 25-1 and finished the season ranked 10th nationally by USA Today. Jones helped tutor four more future D-I players, including University of North Carolina graduate and 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers draftee Danny Green and former West Virginia University star and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers draftee Devin Ebanks.   Between stints as a high school and AAU coach, 13 of Jones’ players earned D-I scholarships, including former Spartans Tamares, Aleek Pauline, and Quasim Pugh.   Prior to joining the high school ranks, Jones served for three seasons as an assistant coach at a pair of D-III schools. Jones was an assistant coach at Bard College in 2001-02 prior to serving a two-year stint at his alma mater, the State University of New York at New Paltz. There, Jones helped the Hawks reach the SUNYAC championship game in 2003.   In 2020, Jones gave his support to ABIS, the Advancement of Blacks in Sports. The organization presented him with the Eddie Robinson Award in 2025, celebrating a current or former coach who exemplifies excellence in their sport and has made a lasting impact on their athletes, the game, and the broader community.   Jones was a four-year letterwinner from 1997-2001 at New Paltz. He played under Evans, who was an assistant at New Paltz from 1997-99. Jones was a three-time All-SUNYAC selection and an honorable mention D-III All-American in 2000. Jones ranks No. 9 all-time in school history in scoring with 1,321 points, first in blocks with 140 and second in rebounds with 875. He was inducted into the Hawks Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022.   Jones earned his bachelor's degree in business management from New Paltz in 2002. In 2011, he was also selected to attend the NCAA’s Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) program, a professional development workshop for college coaches administered by the NCAA Student-Athlete Affairs department in partnership with the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA).   Robert Jones Coaching Experience 2007-12 NSU Assistant Coach 2012-13 NSU Associate Head Coach 2013-Feb. 2014 NSU Interim Head Coach Feb. 2014-Present NSU Head Coach Robert Jones Coaching Awards 2018-19 MEAC Coach of the Year 2018-19 NABC District 15 Coach of the Year 2018-19 Skip Prosser Man of the Year (CollegeInsider) 2018-19 President's Award (Norfolk Sports Club) 2020-21 MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach 2020-21 HBCU Co-Coach of the Year (HBCU All-Stars LLC/CBS Sports) 2021-22 BOXTOROW Co-Coach of the Year, Ben Jobe HBCU D-I COY 2021-22 Hugh Durham Award 2021-22 MEAC Coach of the Year 2021-22 MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach 2021-22 Tom Ferguson Memorial Award (Norfolk Sports Club) 2023-24 MEAC Coach of the Year 2023-24 BOXTOROW Coach of the Year 2024-25 Eddie Robinson Award (Avancement of Blacks in Sport) Robert Jones Conference Championships 2018-19 MEAC Regular Season 2020-21 MEAC Northern Division 2020-21 MEAC Championship, 2021-22 MEAC Championship, MEAC Regular Season 2023-24 MEAC Regular Season 2024-25 MEAC Championship, MEAC Co-Regular Season   Robert Jones Postseason Championships 2023-24 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT)

Jamal Brown enters his 10th year as an assistant coach with the Norfolk State men’s basketball program in 2025-26, coming off a MEAC Tournament title with the Spartans. Brown has more than 20 years in the coaching field, including a lengthy record of accomplishments within the MEAC. He holds the title of associate head coach.   Norfolk State clinched a share of the MEAC regular season title in 2024-25, going 24-11 overall and 11-3 in conference play. The Spartans won the MEAC Tournament in thrilling fashion, defeating South Carolina State 66-65 to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament.   Brian Moore Jr. was named MEAC Newcomer of the Year for the 2024-25 season, averaging 18.1 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from behind the arc. He became just the second player in program history to earn the College Insider Lou Henson Award, presented to the top mid-major player in college basketball.   Norfolk State notched its third consecutive 20-win season in 2023-24, amassing a 24-11 overall record. The Spartans clinched the MEAC regular season title with an 11-3 mark in conference play, before earning the program’s first-ever Division I nonconference postseason championship, erasing an 18-point deficit to take down Purdue Fort Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider Tournament (CIT) championship game.   The MEAC Player of the Year award went to a Norfolk State student-athlete for the third consecutive year, given to NSU guard Jamarii Thomas. The junior also received the MEAC Newcomer of the Year accolade, while his backcourt teammate Allen Betrand took MEAC Sixth Player of the Year honors.   The Spartans posted a 22-11 overall record in 2022-23, earning the team’s fourth consecutive appearance in the conference championship game. Joe Bryant Jr. was named the MEAC Player of the Year for the second straight campaign, receiving First Team All-MEAC honors alongside teammate Kris Bankston. Both players were also selected to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) after the season’s conclusion. NSU also averaged 75.8 points per game in 2022-23, the program’s most since 1999-2000. The Spartans led the conference in scoring average, field goal percentage, defensive field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds per game, and assist/turnover ratio.   NSU repeated as MEAC champion in 2021-22, the first time in program history the Spartans won the league’s title and NCAA berth in consecutive years. Led by MEAC Player of the Year Bryant and a total of three All-MEAC selections (first-teamer Bryant, second-teamer Bankston and third-teamer Jalen Hawkins), the Spartans posted the best-ever start to a season for a MEAC team in the league’s Division I era, at 9-1. NSU logged a 12-2 MEAC mark in 2021-22, winning the outright MEAC regular-season title. The Spartans clinched the regular-season championship in dominant fashion, defeating North Carolina Central 75-46 at Echols Hall. The Spartans captured just their second-ever MEAC title in 2021, advancing to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Appalachian State in the First Four. It marked the program’s second tournament win ever, the only current school in the league that can make that claim. NSU also won a share of the MEAC Northern Division regular season title in 2020-21 at 8-4, the first Spartan team to win both a regular season and tournament title in the same year. The Spartans were named the HBCU Large School National Champion by the Black College Sports Network (BCSN). NSU captured a regular season title in 2018-19 at 14-2, just the second ever for the program since joining the league in 1997. The Spartans earned the league’s automatic bid to the NIT, upsetting No. 1 seed Alabama in the first round. They also went 22-14 overall, the second-most wins for the program in its Division I era. A total of five players earned All-MEAC honors in 2019, including guards Nic Thomas and Derrik Jamerson Jr. (second team), guard Steven Whitley and forward Jordan Butler (third team) and guard C.J. Kelly (all-rookie team). For the second straight year, the program set the overall school record for 3-pointers and the D-I record for 3-point field goal percentage, the latter a mark the program broke yet again in 2020-21. NSU also scored its most points per game (73.7) in 19 years during the 2018-19 campaign. NSU followed that up by finishing in a tie for second in the MEAC in 2019-20 at 12-4. The Spartans secured their third non-losing season in four seasons with Brown on the bench when COVID-19 shut down the season before NSU’s first game in the MEAC Tournament. Nevertheless, Jermaine Bishop (first team), Whitley (third team) and Tyrese Jenkins (all-rookie team) garnered All-MEAC honors that year. Devante Carter (second team) and Joe Bryant Jr. (third team) captured all-conference honors in 2020-21. NSU made its fourth-ever MEAC Championship title game appearance in 2019 and the second with Brown on the bench along with his first season in 2017. That 2016-17 campaign, the Spartans finished second in the MEAC regular season standings at 12-4. They also made their sixth straight postseason appearance after competing in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Norfolk State posted a 10-game win streak during the middle of conference play, the second-longest win streak in the program’s D-I era. Guard Jonathan Wade earned first-team All-MEAC honors, and guard Zaynah Robinson earned a spot on the second team. The Spartans followed that up by going 11-5 and tying for fourth place in the MEAC regular season standings in 2017-18 in Brown’s second season, finishing one game out of first place. NSU owns an 100-32 record (75.8 percent) in the MEAC since Brown joined the coaching staff, 180-113 overall. In addition to his on-court responsibilities with the Spartans, Brown serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator, handles scheduling and team travel, and co-coordinates the team’s summer camps. Prior to joining NSU, he spent a season as an assistant coach at MEAC rival North Carolina A&T in 2015-16 under head coaches Cy Alexander and interim coach Jay Joyner. The Aggies rallied late in the year to finish tied for sixth in the 13-team MEAC. Brown mentored the team’s post players, including third-team All-MEAC honoree Bruce Beckford. Before joining N.C. A&T, Brown spent one year as an assistant coach at Winston-Salem State in 2013-14. The Rams finished 18-11 that year, including 11-5 in the CIAA, and advanced to the conference championship game. The 2024-25 season will mark his 22nd year coaching in the league and his 26th season overall as a coach. His familiarity with the MEAC also includes a five-year stint as the associate head coach under Frankie Allen at UMES from 2008-13. Brown was directly responsible for recruiting and academics during his time with the Hawks. The team achieved a 3.0 GPA and an APR score of 1,000 under his guidance. He also recruited three All-MEAC players and three All-Rookie Team honorees. While at UMES, he was selected to attend the ACE Program for Minority Coaches in 2013. His coaching career began at his alma mater South Carolina State, where he served as an assistant coach under Alexander for six seasons from 1997-03. While there, the Bulldogs had one of the most successful runs in MEAC history, playing in five tournament championship games in six seasons and claiming conference titles in 1998, 2000 and ’03. Brown was the associate head coach under Alexander at Tennessee State from 2003-06. While there, he served as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and was instrumental in the program signing several future all-conference players. The Tigers also improved their win total by seven between Brown’s first and second years there. He left Tennessee State to assume the head coach position at South Carolina State for one season in 2006-07. The Bulldogs finished tied for third in the MEAC standings that year, and the team’s GPA improved from 1.9 in the year before he arrived to 2.5 under Brown. He graduated from South Carolina State University in 1997 with a degree in business marketing. While there, he was a member of the Bulldogs’ MEAC Championship team in 1996 that also shared the regular-season title at 14-2.   Brown was selected to attend the inaugural Next Up coaches clinic in 2024, hosted by Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and North Carolina Central head coach LeVelle Moton. The event aims to address the underrepresentation of Black professional and coaching roles, providing attendees with valuable networking opportunities. A native of North Charleston, South Carolina, Brown and his wife Jennifer have three children, Gilbert Jamal Brown II (22), Grant Carter Brown (8) and Irena St. John Brown (6). The elder Brown is an active member of the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA) and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Carlton “C.J.” Clemons Jr. embarks on his 11th season as an assistant coach on the Norfolk State men’s basketball staff in 2025-26. The Spartans are coming off regular season and postseason conference titles, continuing a dominant stretch atop the MEAC.   Norfolk State clinched a share of the MEAC regular season title in 2024-25, going 24-11 overall and 11-3 in conference play. The Spartans won the MEAC Tournament in thrilling fashion, defeating South Carolina State 66-65 to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament.   Brian Moore Jr. was named MEAC Newcomer of the Year for the 2024-25 season, averaging 18.1 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from behind the arc. He became just the second player in program history to earn the College Insider Lou Henson Award, presented to the top mid-major player in college basketball.   Norfolk State notched its third consecutive 20-win season in 2023-24, amassing a 24-11 overall record. The Spartans clinched the MEAC regular season title with an 11-3 mark in conference play, before earning the program’s first-ever Division I nonconference postseason championship, erasing an 18-point deficit to take down Purdue Fort Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider Tournament (CIT) championship game.   The MEAC Player of the Year award went to a Norfolk State student-athlete for the third consecutive year, given to NSU guard Jamarii Thomas. The junior also received the MEAC Newcomer of the Year accolade, while his backcourt teammate Allen Betrand took MEAC Sixth Player of the Year honors.   The Spartans posted a 22-11 overall record in 2022-23, earning the team’s fourth consecutive appearance in the conference championship game. Joe Bryant Jr. was named the MEAC Player of the Year for the second straight campaign, receiving First Team All-MEAC honors alongside teammate Kris Bankston. Both players were also selected to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) after the season’s conclusion. NSU also averaged 75.8 points per game in 2022-23, the program’s most since 1999-2000. The Spartans led the conference in scoring average, field goal percentage, defensive field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds per game, and assist/turnover ratio. NSU repeated as MEAC champion in 2021-22, the first time in program history the Spartans won the league’s title and NCAA berth in consecutive years. Led by MEAC Player of the Year Bryant and a total of three All-MEAC selections (Bryant, second-teamer Bankston and third-teamer Jalen Hawkins), the Spartans posted the best-ever start to a season for a MEAC team in the league’s Division I era, at 9-1. NSU logged a 12-2 MEAC mark in 2021-22, winning the outright MEAC regular-season title. The Spartans clinched the regular-season championship in dominant fashion, defeating North Carolina Central 75-46 at Echols Hall.   In 2020-21, NSU won its second-ever MEAC title, advancing to the 2021 NCAA Tournament where the Spartans beat Appalachian State in the First Four. It marked the program’s second tournament win ever, the only current school in the league that can make that claim. In addition to winning the tournament title, NSU also won a share of the MEAC Northern Division regular season title at 8-4, in the process becoming the first Spartan team to win both a regular season and tournament title in the same year. The Spartans were named the HBCU Large School National Champion by the Black College Sports Network (BCSN) at the end of the year. The program has gone 112-36 (75.7 percent) in the MEAC and 197-130 overall during Clemons’ time on the bench, including a .500 or better overall record in nine of his 10 seasons. The Spartans have finished no worse than tied for fourth in the league standings during that time. They captured their second-ever MEAC regular season championship after finishing 14-2 in the league in 2018-19. They went 22-14 overall for their second-most wins since moving to Division I. The program capped off Clemons’ fourth year as an assistant by knocking off No. 1 seed Alabama in the NIT first round. The following season, the Spartans tied for second in the MEAC standings at 12-4. The 2019-20 campaign was cut short before NSU’s first game in the MEAC Tournament due to COVID-19. Norfolk State has made seven postseason appearances in Clemons’ nine years with the program that postseason has been played. It finished 12-4 and in second place in the MEAC regular season standings in each of his first two years in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The Spartans advanced to the MEAC Championship title game in 2017 and then again in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. NSU finished 17-17 overall each of Clemons’ first two years, running its streak of consecutive seasons at .500 or better to six. The Spartans competed in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in both 2016 and ‘17. The 2017-18 team went 11-5 in the league, finishing one game out of first place.   The 2016-17 squad ran off a 10-game win streak during conference play, the second-longest streak in the program’s Division I history. A pair of players earned all-conference honors, including Jonathan Wade (first team) and Zaynah Robinson (second team). Jeff Short (first team) and Alex Long (all-rookie team) garnered conference awards during Clemons’ first season in 2015-16. NSU had its most-ever All-MEAC players in 2018-19 with five: Nic Thomas and Derrik Jamerson Jr. (second team), Steven Whitley and Jordan Butler (third team) and C.J. Kelly (all-rookie team). Jermaine Bishop (first team), Whitley (third team) and Tyrese Jenkins (all-rookie team) gave NSU three all-conference honorees in 2019-20, and Devante Carter (second team) and Joe Bryant Jr. (third team) gave NSU two more in 2020-21. NSU set the school record for 3-pointers in his first season and then again in 2017-18 and 2018-19. They have set the program’s D-I record for 3-point field goal percentage three times. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Clemons’ other duties include serving as the liaison for the athletics compliance department, running the program’s summer camps, fundraising, and serving as the liaison for local recruiting. A local native and Norfolk State graduate, Clemons joined NSU after spending two seasons as the head coach at Bryant & Stratton during its first two years as a program. He led the Bobcats, a Division II member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), to a two-year record of 38-16 from 2013-15. Bryant & Stratton advanced to the NJCAA Region 10 semifinals in 2015 on the way to finishing No. 13 in the nation in the D-II NJCAA rankings. Clemons earned the Region 10 Coach of the Year award, and the Bobcats had three players earn all-conference honors. The Bobcats scored slightly more than 78 points per game in 2014-15. Before joining Bryant & Stratton, Clemons spent five seasons as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Booker T. Washington HS in Norfolk from 2008-13. Prior to his start with NSU, he coached with the Boo Williams 17 and under AAU team from 2009-15, including the final three years as the head coach. He led the squad to a sixth-place finish at the 2013 AAU Division I National Championship. Clemons also coached with the S.M.A.R.T. Athletes Basketball Camp, run by former Spartan Kyle O’Quinn, from 2012-15. Clemons graduated from NSU in the spring of 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. He attended Salem High School in Virginia Beach.

Leonard Fairley is in his eighth year as an assistant coach in 2025-26 with the Norfolk State men’s basketball team. He is no stranger to the program, having first served as a student manager in 2011-12 and in various other roles the next several years. NSU has won five regular-season titles and three MEAC Tournament titles since Fairley joined the staff.   Norfolk State clinched a share of the MEAC regular season title in 2024-25, going 24-11 overall and 11-3 in conference play. The Spartans won the MEAC Tournament in thrilling fashion, defeating South Carolina State 66-65 to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament.   Brian Moore Jr. was named MEAC Newcomer of the Year for the 2024-25 season, averaging 18.1 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from behind the arc. He became just the second player in program history to earn the College Insider Lou Henson Award, presented to the top mid-major player in college basketball.   Norfolk State notched its third consecutive 20-win season in 2023-24, amassing a 24-11 overall record. The Spartans clinched the MEAC regular season title with an 11-3 mark in conference play, before earning the program’s first-ever Division I nonconference postseason championship, erasing an 18-point deficit to take down Purdue Fort Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider Tournament (CIT) championship game.   The MEAC Player of the Year award went to a Norfolk State student-athlete for the third consecutive year, given to NSU guard Jamarii Thomas. The junior also received the MEAC Newcomer of the Year accolade, while his backcourt teammate Allen Betrand took MEAC Sixth Player of the Year honors.   The Spartans posted a 22-11 overall record in 2022-23, earning the team’s fourth consecutive appearance in the conference championship game. Joe Bryant Jr. was named the MEAC Player of the Year for the second straight campaign, receiving First Team All-MEAC honors alongside teammate Kris Bankston. Both players were also selected to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) after the season’s conclusion. NSU also averaged 75.8 points per game in 2022-23, the program’s most since 1999-2000. The Spartans led the conference in scoring average, field goal percentage, defensive field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds per game, and assist/turnover ratio. NSU repeated as MEAC champion in 2021-22, the first time in program history the Spartans won the league’s title and NCAA berth in consecutive years. Led by MEAC Player of the Year Bryant and a total of three All-MEAC selections (first-teamer Bryant, second-teamer Bankston and third-teamer Jalen Hawkins), the Spartans posted the best-ever start to a season for a MEAC team in the league’s Division I era, at 9-1. NSU logged a 12-2 MEAC mark in 2021-22, winning the outright MEAC regular-season title. The Spartans clinched the regular-season championship in dominant fashion, defeating North Carolina Central 75-46 at Echols Hall. The 2020-21 team won a share of the MEAC Northern Division title at 8-4 before going on to capture the MEAC Championship, just the second ever for the program. NSU defeated Appalachian State in the NCAA Tournament First Four, in the process becoming the only current member of the MEAC to win a second NCAA Tournament game.   The Spartans also became the first NSU team to win both the MEAC regular season and tournament titles in the same year. They were later named the HBCU Large School National Champion by the Black College Sports Network (BCSN).   An NSU grad, Fairley held the title of interim assistant coach during his first year in 2018-19. The Spartans captured the MEAC regular-season title that season at 14-2, their second ever since joining the league in 1997. He has been involved with the program during all six of its MEAC titles, including a postseason championship in 2011-12 and a regular-season title in 2012-13.   The Spartans went 22-14 overall in his first season as an assistant coach, the second most wins in their Division I era. Win No. 22 came against Alabama in the NIT first round, when the Spartans knocked off the No. 1 seed Crimson Tide after earning the MEAC’s automatic bid to the tournament.   In Fairley’s second year in 2019-20, NSU finished in a tie for second in the MEAC at 12-4. The season was shut down prior to NSU’s first game in the MEAC Tournament due to COVID-19. The Spartans are now 125-66 overall and 66-20 in the MEAC during his first six years with the program.   A total of five players earned All-MEAC status in 2018-19 in Nic Thomas and Derrik Jamerson Jr. (second team), Steven Whitley and Jordan Butler (third team) and C.J. Kelly (all-rookie team). Jermaine Bishop (first team), Whitley (third team) and Tyrese Jenkins (all-rookie team) gave the program three more All-MEAC honors in 2019-20. The Spartans then followed that up with two more in 2020-21 in Devante Carter (second team) and Joe Bryant Jr. (third team).   Fairley served as a student manager at NSU for three seasons from 2011-2014, assisting coaches with practices, video recording, film exchange, and travel and equipment. He was part of a Spartan program that won the MEAC tournament title in 2012 and the MEAC regular-season championship in 2013, advancing to the NCAA Tournament and NIT, respectively. For four seasons from 2014-18, Fairley continued to volunteer with the program. He oversaw other student managers and video and film exchange while continuing to assist with practice, travel and equipment on a weekly basis. He also worked NSU’s summer camps and served as a bench assistant during games, both home and away, charting various plays and statistics for the coaching staff. Fairley received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Norfolk State in December of 2017.