Eugene Harris (basketball)

Eugene Harris (born February 22, 1955) is an American former basketball coach and player. Harris was the head coach of the Florida A&M Rattlers basketball team from 2007 to 2011.

Eugene Harris
Biographical details
BornFebruary 22, 1955 (1955-02-22) (age 69)
Scottsboro, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
1974–1978Florida State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1980–1981Pelham HS
1981–1983James S. Rickards HS
1983–1984South Alabama (assistant)
1984–1994Clemson (assistant)
1994–2001Auburn (assistant)
2005–2006Alabama (assistant)
2006–2007Smith Station HS
2007Georgia State (assistant)
2007–2011Florida A&M
2012–2015Jacksonville State (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall46–80 (.365)

Early life and high school

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Eugene Harris was born on February 22, 1955, and was a native of Scottsboro, Alabama. He graduated from Scottsboro High School, where he played basketball.[1][2]

College career

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Harris attended Florida State University, where he continued playing basketball under Hugh Durham. Harris was twice a captain for the basketball team that made it to the NCAA Tournament in 1978. He graduated from Florida State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1979.[3]

Coaching career

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High school and assistant coaching

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After graduating from Florida State, Harris first coached at the high school level, being the head coach for the basketball teams at Pelham High School in Pelham, Georgia and James S. Rickards High School in Tallahassee, Florida. Harris received his first college coaching job in 1983 as an assistant coach for the South Alabama men's basketball team. He only stayed a year at South Alabama, leaving in 1984 to become an assistant coach for the Clemson Tigers men's basketball team, which he would hold until 1994.[4] Harris joined the Auburn Tigers men's basketball team before the 1994–95 season.[5] He served as an assistant coach there from 1994 to 2001, when he then became an assistant athletics director, serving in that capacity until 2005.[6] Harris then joined the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team for the 2005–06 season as an assistant coach.[7] He only coached at Alabama for one year before spending only one year as head coach for Smiths Station High School in Smiths Station, Alabama during the 2006–07 season. Harris was later initially hired as an assistant coach for the Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team but left Georgia State a month before the season started.[8]

Florida A&M

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Harris departed Georgia State to become the head coach for the Florida A&M Rattlers basketball team shortly before the 2007–08 season started.[9][10] After coaching there for four years and compiling a 46–80 record, Harris was fired following the 2010–11 season.[11][12]

Return to assistant coaching

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Harris joined the Jacksonville State Gamecocks men's basketball team as an assistant coach in 2012 and coached there until 2015.[13]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Florida A&M Rattlers (MEAC) (2007–2011)
2007–08 Florida A&M 15–17 9–7 T–5th
2008–09 Florida A&M 10–21 6–10 T–8th
2009–10 Florida A&M 9–22 5–11 10th
2010–11 Florida A&M 12–20 7–9 7th
Florida A&M: 46–80 (.365) 27–37 (.422)
Total: 46–80 (.365)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ "Scottsboro Native Eugene Harris Added To JSU Hoops Staff". WHNT. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  2. ^ "Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame". Jackson County Sports. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  3. ^ "Eugene Harris". Nole Fan. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "2014-15 Jacksonville State Men's Basketball Media Guide". Jacksonville State Basketball. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "His time came". Jackson County Sentinel. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "Harris Camp for girls teaches basics". Jackson County Sentinel. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "Eugene Harris". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "Harris Named Head Coach at FAMU". Georgia State Sports. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  9. ^ "Eugene Harris named head coach". MEAC Sports. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "Former FSU star Harris new FAMU hoops coach". Ocala Star Banner. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "FAMU Fires Men's Basketball Coach Eugene Harris". The Ledger. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  12. ^ "Rattlers terminate hoops boss after 4 seasons". Victoria Advocate. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  13. ^ "Eugene Harris Added To JSU Men's Hoops Staff". Jacksonville State Sports. September 18, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2024.