Hanif Abdurraqib and Yale’s varsity men’s basketball coach James Jones discuss Abdurraqib’s latest book, There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension.

James Jones, the all-time winningest men’s basketball coach at Yale and one of the most successful coaches in Ivy League history, was named Yale’s head coach on April 27, 1999. He enters the 2023-24 season with 373 career victories, which is the second most in league history, and his 201 Ivy wins are also the second most in league history. Jones’ .624 winning percentage in Ivy games is by far the highest in Yale history. Jones, the longest tenured coach in the league, has guided the Bulldogs to six Ivy League championships—2002, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023—three NCAA Tournament berths—2016, 2019, 2022—and seven postseason appearances.