Jan van Breda Kolff

Van Breda Kolff began his head coaching career in 1991 at [[Cornell University]], where he compiled a 23–29 record over two years. In 1993, he was hired to coach at his alma mater, [[Vanderbilt University]], where his teams achieved a 104–81 record over six seasons, in which the team finished between third and fifth place in the [[Southeastern Conference]] each year and made the [[National Invitation Tournament]] three times and the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] in 1997. He left Vanderbilt in 1999 to coach at [[1999–2000 Pepperdine Waves men's basketball team|Pepperdine University]]. In his first year there, the team played in the [[2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] and upset perennial-power [[1999–2000 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|Indiana]]{{cite news |title=Indiana Is Routed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2000/03/18/indiana-is-routed/f354eb93-b424-4190-acc6-d6d222911514/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2000 |access-date=September 4, 2021}} in what would be head coach [[Bobby Knight]]’s final game at the school. In 2001, van Breda Kolff became head coach at [[St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball|St. Bonaventure]], where the team reached the [[2002 National Invitation Tournament|NIT second round]] in his first year.

Van Breda Kolff began his head coaching career in 1991 at [[Cornell University]], where he compiled a 23–29 record over two years. In 1993, he was hired to coach at his alma mater, [[Vanderbilt University]], where his teams achieved a 104–81 record over six seasons, in which the team finished between third and fifth place in the [[Southeastern Conference]] each year and made the [[National Invitation Tournament]] three times and the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] in 1997. He left Vanderbilt in 1999 to coach at [[1999–2000 Pepperdine Waves men's basketball team|Pepperdine University]]. In his first year there, the team played in the [[2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] and upset perennial-power [[1999–2000 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|Indiana]]{{cite news |title=Indiana Is Routed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2000/03/18/indiana-is-routed/f354eb93-b424-4190-acc6-d6d222911514/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2000 |access-date=September 4, 2021}} in what would be head coach [[Bobby Knight]]’s final game at the school. In 2001, van Breda Kolff became head coach at [[St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball|St. Bonaventure]], where the team reached the [[2002 National Invitation Tournament|NIT second round]] in his first year.

Van Breda Kolff's tenure at St. Bonaventure ended abruptly in controversy late in the 2002–03 season. St. Bonaventure declared [[junior college]] transfer Jamil Terrell eligible to play without sitting out a year (as he would have been under NCAA rules if he had earned an [[associate degree]]), even though Terrell had only earned a [[welding]] certificate. Athletic director [[Gothard Lane]] had told school president Robert Wickenheiser that Terrell was ineligible to play that year. However, Wickenheiser, under prodding from his son Kort, who was also one of Van Breda Kolff's assistants, unilaterally declared Terrell eligible. School officials didn't seek guidance from the NCAA about Terrell's eligibility until the 2002–03 season was nearly over. The Bonnies were forced to forfeit every game in which Terrell played, and were also barred from the [[Atlantic 10 Conference]] tournament. In protest, the Bonnies players opted to sit out the last two games.Weiss, Dick. [https://archive.today/20110815072354/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2003/04/19/2003-04-19_bona_ad__wronged_for_doing_r.html Bona AD: wronged for doing right]. [[New York Daily News]], April 19, 2003.[https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/miSearch?miSearchSubmit=publicReport&key=567&publicTerms=THIS%20PHRASE%20WILL%20NOT%20BE%20REPEATED 2004 infraction report] Van Breda Kolff denied knowing about the scandal and was cleared of wrongdoing.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/sports/ncaabasketball/01coach.html|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Jan Van Breda Kolff's Winning Record Is Tarnished by One Failure |date=May 2, 2009|access-date=July 31, 2010}} He would later take on an assistant coach role for the [[New Orleans Pelicans|New Orleans Hornets]] following the scandal's aftermath.

Van Breda Kolff's tenure at St. Bonaventure ended abruptly in controversy late in the 2002–03 season. St. Bonaventure declared [[junior college]] transfer Jamil Terrell eligible to play without sitting out a year (as he would have been under NCAA rules if he had earned an [[associate degree]]), even though Terrell had only earned a [[welding]] certificate. Athletic director [[Gothard Lane]] had told school president [[Robert J. Wickenheiser|Robert Wickenheiser]] that Terrell was ineligible to play that year. However, Wickenheiser, under prodding from his son Kort, who was also one of Van Breda Kolff's assistants, unilaterally declared Terrell eligible. School officials didn't seek guidance from the NCAA about Terrell's eligibility until the 2002–03 season was nearly over. The Bonnies were forced to forfeit every game in which Terrell played, and were also barred from the [[Atlantic 10 Conference]] tournament. In protest, the Bonnies players opted to sit out the last two games.Weiss, Dick. [https://archive.today/20110815072354/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2003/04/19/2003-04-19_bona_ad__wronged_for_doing_r.html Bona AD: wronged for doing right]. [[New York Daily News]], April 19, 2003.[https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/miSearch?miSearchSubmit=publicReport&key=567&publicTerms=THIS%20PHRASE%20WILL%20NOT%20BE%20REPEATED 2004 infraction report] Van Breda Kolff denied knowing about the scandal and was cleared of wrongdoing.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/sports/ncaabasketball/01coach.html|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Jan Van Breda Kolff's Winning Record Is Tarnished by One Failure |date=May 2, 2009|access-date=July 31, 2010}} He would later take on an assistant coach role for the [[New Orleans Pelicans|New Orleans Hornets]] following the scandal's aftermath.

On April 25, 2007, he was named as one of three finalists to become the new head coach of [[University of California, Riverside|UC Riverside]]'s men's basketball program.{{citation needed|date=March 2026}}

On April 25, 2007, he was named as one of three finalists to become the new head coach of [[University of California, Riverside|UC Riverside]]'s men's basketball program.{{citation needed|date=March 2026}}