In 10 seasons at Long Island University, Jim Ferry has restored the Blackbirds’ perch atop the Northeast Conference. The 2011 and 2005 NEC Coach of the Year, Ferry has put his stamp on the LIU program, bringing a passion and intensity that has helped him become a highly successful head coach at the collegiate level, guiding the Blackbirds to back-to-back NEC regular season and tournament titles in 2011 and 2012.
After a record-setting 2010-11 season that saw LIU win its first NEC title in 14 years, Ferry’s Blackbirds had similar success during the 2011-12 campaign. LIU captured the NEC regular-season and tournament championships for a second straight year, going 25-9 en route to a second appearance in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. The Blackbirds matched their 16-2 league mark from the season before to set an NEC record for two-year conference winning percentage (32-4, .889) and won at least 25 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1941-42. The Blackbirds ranked third in the country in scoring (81.4 ppg) and compiled the nation’s second-longest active home winning streak at 27 games. Junior Julian Boyd became the fourth player in LIU history, and first under Ferry, to be named NEC Player of the Year. Boyd was joined on the all-conference teams by Jamal Olasewere and Jason Brickman.
The 2010-11 season saw Ferry lead LIU to a 27-6 record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. The Blackbirds recorded their most wins overall since the 1936-37 team under Clair Bee and set a program-record with a 16-2 mark in the NEC. For his efforts, Ferry was named the NABC District 18 Coach of the Year, the Peter A. Carlesimo Division I Coach of the Year and the Jim Phelan Northeast Conference Coach of the Year, in addition to being named a finalist for the Hugh Durham Coach of the Year award. Ferry’s high-scoring team ranked fourth nationally in scoring (82.7 ppg) and set a program-record for conference wins (16). Ferry and the Blackbirds also led the nation with road wins (13), entered the NCAA Tournament with a nation-best 13 straight wins. LIU’s 13-win improvement over the previous season was also a nation’s-best.
Ferry arrived on the Brooklyn campus and inherited a program that was in need of a complete overhaul. His first season saw immediate improvement in the squad and having completed his ninth season Ferry has made the Blackbirds the elite team in the league by focusing on the fundamentals of a strong defense and an efficient offense. By stocking the roster with talented, multi-dimensional athletes, Ferry has mentored two NEC Rookies of the Year, nine all-conference honorees and eight all-rookie selections. He has cultivated excitement around a program that has settled into its home at the state-of-the-art $45-million Wellness, Recreation and Athletics Center in downtown Brooklyn.
Ferry took over the Blackbirds following an outstanding coaching record in the Division II and III ranks, collecting over 100 career wins in just four season, which makes hime one of the fastest coaches in NCAA history to reach the plateau. Ferry and his staff recognize the history of the program and have worked hard to restore the Blackbirds to their past glory.
“We have a group of young and talented players here that have developed a winning identity,” Ferry said. “We’ve gotten quality individuals, good recruits, solid students and guys that have bought into the program. The philosophy we preach every day involves a commitment to come out and be tough, physical and aggresive, both offensively and defensively. If we consistently defend and outrebound our opponents we will win games.”
Heightened expectations surrounded the program heading into the 2009-10 season as LIU was tabbed second in the NEC preseason coaches’ poll. Despite losing three potential starters to health and family reasons in late August, and with just one senior on the roster, Ferry turned in one of his best coaching jobs by guiding LIU to 11 league wins and the conference semifinals. Senior Jaytornah Wisseh capped a brilliant career under Ferry’s tutelage by earning all-conference first team honors for the second time and becoming the first Blackbird to earn NEC All-Tournament honors since 1998 and Kenny Onyechi became the latest NEC All-Rookie Team selection.
Ferry and the Blackbirds found themselves among the elite teams in the conference during 2008-09 as LIU posted a winning record with a 16-14 mark overall and tied for second-place with a 12-6 conference record. LIU ranked second in the league in both scoring offense and rebounding margin, while Wisseh earned all-NEC first team honors and Julian Boyd became the second NEC Rookie of the Year under Ferry.
Ferry’s 2007-08 Blackbirds is where the program’s fortunes began to soar. LIU was picked 11th in the league’s preseason poll, but he took a young squad and guided it to an 8-3 non-league mark. The Blackbirds finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time since 1997-98 and defied predictions to advance to the conference tournament. Wisseh was named second team all-conference, while David Hicks and Kyle Johnson earned all-rookie honors, establishing a young foundation that LIU has built its success upon.
The Blackbirds had high expectations heading into the 2006-07 season, having been picked third in the preseason conference poll, but a rash of injuries plagued the roster. The season had its highlights, with senior James Williams moving into fourth-place on the career scoring list scoring and earning a spot on the All-NEC Second Team. Wisseh was named to the All-Rookie Team and the Blackbirds also won the “Battle of Brooklyn” for the second straight year with an 82-79 win over borough-rival St. Francis (N.Y.).
LIU was hampered during the 2005-06 season by injuries as well - including ailments to three starters at the same time - that resulted in a relatively slow start. The Blackbirds rallied down the stretch, closing out the regular season with eight wins in their final 12 games. The only losses came against the top three teams in the standings as LIU closed the year on a roll and advanced to the league tournament.
The 2004-05 Blackbirds were picked 11th in the preseason coaches’ poll, but under Ferry’s guidance the young team earned a fourth-place finish in the league standings with a 10-8 record. The Blackbirds’ turnaround was a six-game improvement from the previous year, which was not only the best about-face in the league that season, but the biggest jump for a team in four years. As a result, Ferry was named the 2004-05 NEC Coach of the Year in just his third season on the job.
Opposing teams know what to expect when they see Ferry on the opposite bench. An intense competitor, his teams reflect his passion for the game, its techniques and traditions. A tireless recruiter, he has assembled a diverse multinational roster. Despite the varied backgrounds of his athletes, Ferry cultivates their common traits to mold them together seamlessly into his overall vision for the team.
“We’ve been able to establish ourselves as one of the top teams in the league,” he said. “By bringing in quality people and recruiting to our style and philosophy we’ve built the program the right way. We have the ability to win a conference championship and we want to stay at the top as one of the premier programs in the Northeast Conference and I think we will continue to move in that direction.”
Ferry arrived on LIU’s campus in downtown Brooklyn prior to the 2002-03 season with a strong understanding of the history of the program he was inheriting. At the time of his hiring, LIU games were played in the Schwartz Center, which houses the historic Brooklyn Paramount Theater, the home of the Blackbirds from 1963-2006. Under Ferry, the Blackbirds opened a new chapter in the program’s history by moving into its new $45 million home - the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. Ferry has seen his teams win over 69 percent of their home games since moving into one of the best home courts in the Metropolitan area.
Ferry’s ties to New York City go back to his youth while growing up in Elmont, N.Y., as the son of a New York City transit police officer. He played one year at New York Tech before transferring to Keene State, where he posted a double-figures scoring average for his career. Ferry led the Owls in scoring as a junior and set the single-game record for free throw attempts with 19. He graduated in 1990, earning a degree in safety studies.
Following his playing career, Ferry embarked on a coaching career that included eight years as an assistant coach. He started at his alma mater for a year, before moving onto Bentley College. As an assistant, he helped Bentley win the 1992-93 Northeast 10 regular season championship and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. He earned his first head coaching job at Plymouth State in 1998, where in just one campaign with the Panthers, Ferry guided the team to a 22-8 mark to break the school record for wins. Plymouth State also won a share of the Little East Conference title and was runner-up at the ECAC New England Tournament.
Ferry returned to his home state when he took the Adelphi University head coaching position in 1999-2000. During his three seasons with the Panthers, Ferry began to make his mark in the coaching ranks. Ferry’s first team set a school-record for wins with a 23-7 record and claimed its first regular-season conference championship in 36 years. Adelphi also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
In 2000-01, Ferry’s Adelphi squad opened the season with 31 straight wins and led all NCAA Division I, II and III teams with a .969 winning percentage. He led the team to a No. 1 national ranking and the Elite Eight of the national tournament. His final season with the Panthers included a second straight trip to the Elite Eight and a No. 4 ranking after finishing 28-3. During his time at Adelphi, Ferry collected three Metropolitan Coach of the Year awards and was also named the Basketball Times Division II Coach of the Year in 2000-01.
Ferry and his wife, Kelly, live in Merrick, N.Y., with their four children: Victoria, twins Hannah and James, and Leo.
Ferry's Year-by-Year Record
|
Year
|
School |
Record |
Conf. Record |
Postseason |
|
1998-99 |
Plymouth State 1 |
22-8 |
11-3 Little East |
ECAC New England Finals |
|
1999-00 |
Adelphi 2 3 4 10 |
23-7 |
19-3 NYCAC |
NCAA Sweet 16 |
|
2000-01 |
Adelphi 2 3 4 5 10 |
31-1 |
22-0 NYCAC |
NCAA Elite 8 |
|
2001-02 |
Adelphi 2 3 4 10 |
28-3 |
21-1 NYCAC |
NCAA Elite 8 |
|
Totals (three seasons) |
82-11 |
62-3 NYCAC |
|
2002-03 |
LIU Brooklyn |
9-19 |
7-11 NEC |
|
2003-04 |
LIU Brooklyn |
8-19 |
4-14 NEC |
|
2004-05 |
LIU Brooklyn 6 |
14-15 |
10-8 NEC |
NEC Semifinals |
|
2005-06 |
LIU Brooklyn |
12-16 |
9-9 NEC |
NEC Quarterfinals |
|
2006-07 |
LIU Brooklyn |
10-19 |
6-12 NEC |
|
2007-08 |
LIU Brooklyn |
15-15 |
7-11 NEC |
NEC Quarterfinals |
|
2008-09 |
LIU Brooklyn |
16-14 |
12-6 NEC |
NEC Quarterfinals |
|
2009-10 |
LIU Brooklyn |
14-17 |
11-7 NEC |
NEC Semifinals |
|
2010-11 |
LIU Brooklyn 6 7 8 9 10 |
27-6 |
16-2 NEC |
NCAA Second Round |
|
2011-12 |
LIU Brooklyn 7 10 |
25-9 |
16-2 NEC |
NCAA Second Round |
|
Totals (10 seasons) |
150-149 |
98-82 NEC |
|
Career (14 seasons) |
254-168 |
|
|
|
1 Little East Conference Champions |
|
2 NYCAC Champions |
|
3 NYCAC Coach of the Year |
|
4 Metropolitan Coach of the Year |
|
5 Basketball Times Div. II Coach of the Year |
|
6 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year |
|
7 Northeast Conference Champions |
|
8 NABC District 18 Coach of the Year |
|
9 NIT/MBWA Peter A Carlesimo Division I Coach of the Year |
|
10 NCAA Tournament |