Jon Harris - Men's Basketball Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics

Jon Harris

Title:
Assistant Coach

After Cuonzo Martin was introduced as Tennessee[apos]s head basketball coach on March 28, 2011, he wasted no time selecting Jon Harris as the first member of his coaching staff. A native of Edwardsville, Ill., and a former collegiate standout at Marquette, Harris had spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach on Martin[apos]s staff at Missouri State. Through two seasons on Rocky Top, Harris[apos] impact on the Vols[apos] post players has been immense. During that time, forwards Jeronne Maymon and Jarnell Stokes both have earned All-SEC honors, they have combined for 27 double-doubles, and they have cemented themselves atop the program[apos]s all-time offensive rebounding charts. [quote]In two years working with our bigs here at Tennessee, coach Harris has made a tremendous impact,[quote] Martin said. [quote]Guys like Jeronne (Maymon) and Jarnell (Stokes) have really developed their games under coach Harris. Scoring, rebounding, defending... coach Harris has helped those guys improve in all of those areas.[quote] As a sophomore in 2012-13, Stokes[apos] development under Harris[apos] watchful eye led to Stokes being one of only five players in all of major college basketball - and the only player from the SEC - to average a double-double in conference play (13.1 ppg, 10.7 rpg). In Harris[apos] first year with the Vols, Maymon increased his scoring output close to 400 percent (.388) and rebounding output nearly 200 percent (.189) while going from rarely-used bench player to UT[apos]s most consistent starter and garnering second-team All-SEC laurels. [quote]Coach Harris has been great for us,[quote] Maymon said. [quote]He[apos]s shown me a lot of ways to use my body against defenders. He[apos]s also polished and sharpened some of the toughness I already had in me.[quote] For both of Harris[apos] seasons at Tennessee, the Vols have ranked second in the SEC in rebounding defensive and rebounding margin during league play. Harris also proved himself as a capable scout in one of the nation[apos]s strongest leagues, as he was responsible for the scout in both of Tennessee[apos]s 2012 regular-season triumphs over eventual NCAA Elite Eight participant Florida. In non-conference action, Harris was the lead scout for UT[apos]s 2013 win over Wichita State[apos]s eventual Final Four squad. Harris and Martin[apos]s partnership at Missouri State yielded similarly extraordinary results. The Bears averaged more than 20 wins per season, earned a pair of postseason berths and captured the program[apos]s first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship in 2010-11. MSU improved from 11 wins in the 2008-09 campaign to a 24-12 record and the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament title in 2009-10. The Bears[apos] 69.8 points per game led the MVC that year, and their 19 home wins tied Kansas for the most among Division I programs. [quote]Coach Harris played at Marquette with one of the greatest players in the game in Dwyane Wade, so Jon really knows what it takes to be a great role player,[quote] Martin said. [quote]And because of his effectiveness as a communicator, he can really help our guys understand and accept their roles--what does it take to be a great rebounder, a great post defender, to play with passion, energy and toughness around the basket? Those are things he can teach.[quote] Harris[apos] leadership was instrumental in MSU[apos]s stellar 2010-11 MVC championship run and subsequent NIT berth. Missouri State advanced to its conference tournament title game, ranked seventh nationally in turnovers per game (10.3) and led the MVC in 3-point shooting (.376) and assist/turnover ratio (1.28). Prior to his three successful seasons on the bench at Missouri State, Harris served a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Wisconsin-Green Bay under Tod Kowalczyk, preceded by one season on staff at Marquette. Harris[apos] first taste of college coaching came at his alma mater during the 2002-03 season. It proved to be quite an initiation into the profession, as the Golden Eagles -- led by current NBA All-Star Wade -- powered their way to a 27-6 record and a run to the Final Four. Highlights from Harris[apos] five seasons in Green Bay included the development of eight All-Horizon League performers and a pair of Academic All-Americas. The Phoenix never finished worse than fourth in the final league standings in Harris[apos] tenure, during which several players moved on to careers in professional basketball. It was during Harris[apos] time spent recruiting the state of Indiana for Green Bay that he grew to know Martin, then an assistant coach at Purdue. Harris was a two-year captain during his playing days at Marquette under head coach Tom Crean. Harris finished his career ranked 20th on Conference USA[apos]s all-time rebounding list (494). He made 22 starts and shot 53 percent from the floor during his career, which culminated in a 2002 NCAA Tournament berth after he and Wade helped lead the Golden Eagles to a 26-7 record and No. 9 ranking in the Associated Press national poll. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch High School Player of the Year as a senior in 1998, Harris also was a first-team All-State selection while starring at Edwardsville High School. His senior year honors haul also included honorable mention All-America acclaim from USA Today. Harris received his bachelor[apos]s degree in Psychology from Marquette in 2002, and he is married to the former Heidi Bowman, a 1,000-point career scorer and All-Conference performer for the Marquette women[apos]s basketball team from 1998-2001. The couple has two daughters, Hailey and Leah, and a son, Jaxson.

[quote]Coach