Appalachian State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin has announced a two-year contract extension for men’s basketball head coach Jim Fox that will be effective through the 2020-21 season. The extension was approved Tuesday by Chancellor Sheri Everts and the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees.
Fox enters his fifth season at the helm of the Mountaineers’ program in 2018-19. His first four seasons in the High Country have seen progress both on the court and in the classroom.
The 2017-18 campaign saw the Mountaineers (15-18, 9-9 Sun Belt) improve their win total by six games from the previous season. Picked to finish 11th in the Sun Belt in the preseason poll, Fox led the Mountaineers to nine conference victories, which was tied for the most since they entered the Sun Belt in 2014-15. In addition, the Black and Gold posted a 93-64 victory over Little Rock in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament, marking App’s first win in the Sun Belt Tournament.
Fox has coached a player to All-Sun Belt honors in each of his first four seasons. Frank Eaves was named All-Sun Belt in Fox’s first two seasons, and Ronshad Shabazz garnered in All-Sun Belt accolades in the past two seasons, including a second-team selection in 2017-18. Shabazz led the Mountaineers and ranked fifth in the league in scoring in 2017-18, averaging 18.5 points. A rising senior, Shabazz has tallied 1,481 points in his first three years, which ranks 11th all-time in App State history.
Fox has also seen the Mountaineers improve in the classroom. Since his arrival in Boone, the Mountaineers’ APR score has steadily climbed, including back-to-back seasons with a score of 980.
“I appreciate the continued support of Chancellor Everts, Doug Gillin and the rest of the administration here at Appalachian State,” Fox said. “We are pleased with the progress we have made and continue to strive to get better. Our players are fully invested in what we are doing here and the future is very bright.”
