WEST POINT, N.Y. – Jimmy Allen (E&H '93), who spent the past six seasons on Zach Spiker's coaching staff, has been named as the United States Military Academy's new head men's basketball coach, Army West Point Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Boo Corrigan announced Wednesday. Allen becomes the 31st head coach in the Black Knights' 114-year history, after serving as Associate Head Coach during the 2015-16 season.
"As we studied our diverse and talented pool of coaching candidates from across the nation, Jimmy Allen's name and body of work continued to rise to the top," Corrigan said. "Jimmy played an integral role in our team's most recent success, helping lead our program to four straight 15-win seasons for the first time in nearly a century. He is a passionate leader, a dynamic recruiter and a man of great character. We feel Jimmy Allen is the ideal fit to lift our men's basketball program to even greater heights."
"We're excited to have Jimmy at the head of our men's basketball program," said Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, Jr., USMA Superintendent. "As an associate head coach Jimmy played a key role in the team's recent success. As the son of a graduate who spent a large part of his childhood on West Point, he's internalized the ideals of Duty, Honor, Country and is committed to our mission of developing leaders of character. We're confident that, under Jimmy's leadership, the program will continue to contribute to the development of our Army's future leaders without missing a beat."
In addition to Army's participation in the 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, the Black Knights won 19 games for the first time since 1977-78 and the team set a program record for road wins with 11. Allen was an integral part of Army's success over the past four seasons and the Class of 2016 finished their careers with 65 victories, the most wins for a class since 1971. Since his addition to the Black Knights' coaching staff, 16 All-Patriot League honors have been handed out to Army West Point players, including Nathan Hedgecock's Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition, a pair for first-team nods for Ella Ellis and Wilson's Rookie of the Year award in 2013.
"I feel like West Point has been part of my DNA since I was born," said Allen. "I lived here a couple different times growing up and with my father being a graduate of the Academy this is a very special day for me. This is not just an opportunity to be a head coach. It is an opportunity to be the head coach at Army West Point. To be able to continue to work with the guys who have been part of this program and continue to do the things that have made our program successful is something I am extremely excited about."
Allen joined Spiker's coaching staff in April 2010 after serving six seasons as the head coach at Averett University in Danville, Virginia. During his time with the Division III Cougars, Allen posted a 97-70 (.581) overall record, guiding the program to three 20-win seasons, three USA South Athletic Conference titles, three USA South Tournament Championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances and was three times named USA South Coach of the Year (2005, 2007, 2008).
Prior to his arrival at Averett, Allen spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach, including eight at the NCAA Division I level, working at Wofford College from 2002-04 and the United States Naval Academy (1996-02). Prior to his stint at Navy, Allen began his coaching career at his alma mater, Emory & Henry, under legendary coach Bob Johnson from 1993-96.
A 1993 graduate of Emory & Henry with a bachelor's degree in accounting, Allen played in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments during his undergraduate career. The Wasps won 20 games each of his four seasons and advanced the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Division III Tournament on two occasions. A four-year starter at point guard, Allen holds the program's record with 117 consecutive games played and ranks second on the school's all-time assist ledger. He was inducted into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
A press conference to introduce Allen as Army's head men's basketball coach will be held on Wednesday, April 6 at 2 p.m. The press conference will be held inside Nowak Auditorium and will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network.
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-release & photo courtesy of Army West Point Athletics