(JCCC Sports Information) OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Mike Jeffers has compiled 575 career wins, 491 at Johnson County Community College, won two national championships, one runner-up finish, two NJCAA National Coach of the Year awards, two KABC Coach of the Year awards, a NABC Coach of the Year honor, and now he is national hall of famer.
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) announced Thursday that the Cavaliers head coach has been selected for induction into the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for the class of 2020. He will be inducted along with a pair of former student-athletes Nick Van Exel of Trinity Valley (TX) and Jerry Venebale of Ferrum (VA), and two other prominent former coaches John Alofs of Herkimer (NY) and Mark Adams of Howard (TX) and current Texas Tech assistant.
Now in his 29th and final season at Johnson County, his 491 wins make him the all-time wins leader in program history, and one of the most successful in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) history. He ranks second for all-time victories trailing only Coffeyville's Jay Herkelman's 648 wins. Jeffers's 2019-20 team is currently 17-2 and ranked fifth in the NJCAA D-II men's basketball.
Jeffers has led Johnson County to five NJCAA Tournament appearances and captured national titles twice, making him the only Kansas Jayhawk Conference men's basketball coach to win multiple national championships. In his 28 years at Johnson County, Jeffers has led the men's basketball program to 10 20-win campaigns, including a school record 31wins in 2018-19, 30 wins in 2000-01 and the fifth-best season with 26 wins in 2008-09 and 2016-17. The 2000-01 and 2008-09 seasons ended with Jeffers' teams cutting down the nets as national champions. The 2018-19 team won a record 31 games on their way to a national runner-up finish. He also has won nine Region VI championships and had his team appear in the region title game 15 times.
Individually, players have excelled under Jeffers leadership. Thirteen Cavaliers (Jimmy Hubbard, Chris Lollar, Caleb Kennedy, Chad Fleming, Todd McCoy, Aaron Linn, Nafis Ricks, Ronnie Boggs, Quasim Jones, Pat Jones, Danzel Wright, Anthony Lupardus and Nick Larkin) have earned 15 total NJCAA All-America honors. Lollar was the NJCAA Player of the Year in 2001, and Ricks was selected the NJCAA Player of the Year and NABC Junior College Player of the Year in 2009.
Also during his tenure as the Cavaliers coach, 58 of his players have been selected as All-East Jayhawk Conference performers, 58 All-Region VI selections, 10 national All-Tournament performers, two Jack Custriano Best Small Man Award, two National Tournament MVPs, two Kansas Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year, one Kansas Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and three Kansas Jayhawk Conference MVPs.
Even more impressive is Jeffers' ability to take young talent and develop their skills, allowing them to grow as a player and eventually play at the next level. Since arriving at JCCC in 1991, Jeffers has had 72 players sign upper division scholarships to continue their careers.
Prior to coming to Johnson County, Jeffers also spent four season as head coach at Brewton-Parker where he posted a record of 84-43 while leading two teams to the NJCAA National Tournament.