SWAC Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

8. James Green – Mississippi Valley State (2005-2008)

When Green took the Mississippi Valley State job in 2005, it offered him the coaching redemption he was seeking. A former assistant at schools like Alabama and Texas A&M, he had recently spent eight seasons unable to lead Southern Miss to the NCAA Tournament as their head coach. When he took over the Delta Devils, they were in decent shape but hadn’t been able to finish the job and win the SWAC Tournament.

After a slow start, Green did pretty good in his three years with the Delta Devils. In his second year, Mississippi Valley State won the SWAC regular-season title, though 2008 is when the breakthrough came. The Delta Devils returned to the NCAA Tournament, and Green won 63% of conference games during his tenure with the program.

Following that success, he’d spend the next eight years in the OVC with Jacksonville State, though his time with the Gamecocks wasn’t as successful. He led Mississippi Valley State back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in twelve years and left the program in solid enough shape after his departure. He didn’t set records or redefine the school, he just helped march in the latest successful season for the program.