Jean Prioleau, whose resume includes 11 NCAA Division I post-season appearances in 18 seasons as an assistant coach, has been named San Jose State University men’s basketball head coach. Marie Tuite, the Spartans director of athletics, made the announcement.
Prioleau will be introduced to the San Jose State University community and the news media during a campus event on Monday, August 7, at 10:30 a.m. in the Student Union Theater located near 10th and San Antonio streets.
Prioleau joins San Jose State after seven successful seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at the University of Colorado. The Buffaloes won 149 games, had five 20-win seasons and appeared in post-season play every year. Colorado played in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, the NIT in 2011 and 2017 and the CBI in 2015.
“I want to thank President Papazian, Director of Athletics Marie Tuite and the advisory committee for their confidence in me. I am grateful to have the opportunity to lead, mentor and push our student-athletes to compete to the best of their ability,” said Prioleau who signed a five-year contract.
“I’m looking forward to building a program the university and community will be proud of and to ensuring that we prepare our young men to succeed in the classroom and on the court,” he added.
“After a thorough and exhaustive national search, we are thrilled and excited to welcome Coach Prioleau, his wife, Janelle, and their son, Elijah, to the Spartan family. Coach Prioleau is highly regarded as a player’s coach from the time a player is recruited all the way through graduation and into a professional career. He’s enjoyed consistent success, knows what it takes to take a program to the next level and has the energy and enthusiasm we want for our student-athletes, fans and campus community,” says Tuite.
Besides the unprecedented sustained success of Colorado basketball, the Buffs also had four NBA draft choices during Prioleau’s seven seasons. Most recently, All-American guard Derrick White was the San Antonio Spurs first-round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie, a member of the Brooklyn Nets, was the 38th overall selection by the Detroit Pistons in 2014. Swingman Andre Roberson, a 2013 first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, completed his fourth season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Guard Alec Burks, the 12th overall pick by Utah in the 2011 NBA Draft, completed his sixth season with the Jazz.
Prioleau graduated in 1992 from Fordham University with a degree in physics. He finished his college basketball career second on the school’s all-time list in steals and assists and fifth in scoring with 1,442 points. He was a two-time second-team All-Patriot League player, named to the 1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Rookie team, part of the Rams’ 1991 and 1992 Patriot League championship teams. Prioleau was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
Born in New York City and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the 47-year old Prioleau entered the coaching profession in 2000 after a playing career that included tryouts with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers of the NBA and experiences in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the United States Basketball League (USBL) and overseas in Turkey, Italy and Switzerland.
He began his college coaching career at his alma mater for the 2000 season. Prioleau then spent five seasons at Wichita State (2001-05), the 2006 season at Marquette, two seasons at Iowa State (2007-08) and the 2009 and 2010 seasons at TCU before heading to Colorado. Wichita State played in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 NIT’s. The 2006 Marquette team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
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