Rogers State Head Men’s Basketball Coach Justin Barkley announced the addition of Jimmy Boone to his coaching staff on Thursday. Boone brings with him over a decade of coaching experience in NCAA Division II.
“I could not be more excited to add Coach Jimmy Boone and his family, Kiara and Charlee Mae, to the Rogers State men’s basketball family,” Barkley said. “While searching for the right fit, Coach Boone checked a lot of boxes I felt this program needed. He will bring a wealth of experience to the Hill. His playing career at the NCAA D2 level to go along with multiple coaching stops with NCAA D2 National Tourney experiences made this a great fit. He is a relentless worker that will continue to help elevate our program.”
Boone arrives on the Hill after serving as an assistant coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith for the past four years. At UAFS, he recruited and coached the leading scorer in the Lone Star Conference three of the last four seasons. Under his watch, eight Lions earned All-LSC honors including the 2020 LSC Newcomer of the Year. During his tenure, Boone served as recruiting coordinator and oversaw scouting, player development and practice planning as well as coordinating all team travel.
Prior to joining UAFS, Boone spent seven years as an assistant at Delta State. While there, he helped guide the Statesmen to one of the most successful stretches in program history including three trips to the NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2013, as well as a regular season Gulf South Conference title in 2014 and a GSC Tournament Championship in 2019.
Boone was instrumental in the recruitment of two of the most accomplished players in DSU history, Devin Schmidt and Willie Readus. Schmidt finished his Statesmen career as the all-time leading scorer in Delta State and Gulf South Conference history (2,594 points) and was a two-time NABC All-American and 2016 GSC Player of the Year. Readus was also a NABC All-American and the 2014 GSC Player of the Year.
Before coming to Delta State, Boone spent the 2011-2012 season as an assistant coach at West Virginia Wesleyan where he helped guide the team to its first ever NCAA National Tournament victory. In the 2010-2011 season, he served as a student assistant coach for the Tusculum College men’s basketball program.
As a player, Boone put together a successful four-year career at Tusculum, finishing with 831 points and 162 three-pointers, which was good for sixth-most in program history. During his junior season, he helped lead the Pioneers to a 20-11 record as they advanced to the SAC Tournament title game and later earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Boone finished his career as the all-time leader in NCAA Division II wins in Tusculum history.
Boone holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Thomas Edison State University.
He and his wife Kiara have a daughter, Charlee Mae.
