George Ivory (basketball)

George Ivory (born August 7, 1965) is the head men's basketball coach for Mississippi Valley State University. He was the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff from 2008 to 2021.[1] Previously, Ivory was an assistant at Mississippi Valley State, his alma mater, from 1998–2002, 2007–2008, and 2021–2022.

George Ivory
Current position
TitleHead coach/Interim athletic director
TeamMississippi Valley State
ConferenceSWAC
Record1–13 (.071)
Biographical details
Born (1965-08-07) August 7, 1965
Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Playing career
1984–1988Mississippi Valley State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1991–1998Jackson State (Women's, asst.)
1998–2002Mississippi Valley State (asst.)
2002–2006Arkansas–Pine Bluff (asst.)
2006–2007Grambling State (asst.)
2007–2008Mississippi Valley State (asst.)
2008–2021Arkansas–Pine Bluff
2021–2022Mississippi Valley State (asst.)
2022–presentMississippi Valley State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2022–presentMississippi Valley State (Interim AD)
Head coaching record
Overall141–282 (.333)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
SWAC tournament (2010)
Awards
SWAC co-Player of the Year (1987)

Playing career

Ivory grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, where he attended Murrah High School, one of the top basketball schools in the country. He played at Murrah for three years, winning numerous awards prior to graduating in 1983.

After Ivory finished at Murrah High School, he went on to attend college at Mississippi Valley State University. While at MVSU Ivory was selected as Freshman of the Year, First Team All-SWAC, SWAC Tournament MVP, and Player of the Year in the conference. Ivory started all four years at Mississippi Valley State University, where he still ranks tops in scoring, steals, assist, minutes, and games played.[2]

Upon graduating from Mississippi Valley State University in 1988 with a bachelor's degree, and after trying out professionally with the Chicago Bulls, Harlem Globetrotters, and Illinois Express, Ivory was drafted by the Wyoming Wildcatters of the CBA.

Coaching career

Ivory later went back to college at Jackson State University to receive his master's degree in 1996 while working as a graduate assistant with the Lady Tigers for three years before becoming a full-time assistant in 1991–1998 under head coach Andrew Pennington.

JSU won two tournament championships, a regular-season championship, and made one NCAA appearance. In the fall of 1998, Ivory accepted a similar position with Mississippi Valley State University as men's assistant coach under then-head coach Lafayette Stribling, where they had several outstanding recruiting classes as well as several outstanding teams which competed for SWAC titles for consecutive years.

Ivory subsequently crossed the state line to become an assistant coach at UAPB in the fall of 2002 under then-head coach Van Holt. Holt and staff led the Golden Lions to the finals of the SWAC Tournament in 2005–06.

In 2006–07, Ivory crossed another state line as he was hired as an assistant coach at Grambling State University under then-head coach Larry Wright. In 2007–08 Ivory went back to his alma mater Mississippi Valley State University as an assistant coach under then-head coach James Green, where they went on to win the SWAC Tournament Championship and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Arkansas–Pine Bluff

In the spring of 2008, Ivory was named the head coach of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Prior to the start of his first season, the Golden Lions were picked 9th in the SWAC's preseason poll, but UAPB went on to finish in 4th place in the SWAC during their 2008–09 campaign. Arkansas-Pine Bluff also completed conference play with a winning record for the first time in school history.

The 2009–10 basketball season brought about unprecedented success for the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball team. After starting the year 0–11, the Golden Lions finished the season with a remarkable run all the way to the NCAA tournament. The Golden Lions went 18–5 over the course of their last 23 games as they concluded the season with an 18–16 overall record. UAPB won the 2010 SWAC Basketball Tournament Championship, marking the schools’ first title in over four decades (1967). Arkansas-Pine Bluff followed their undefeated SWAC tourney run with a victory over the Winthrop Eagles in the NCAA Opening Round game, snapping a 17-year conference losing streak in the NCAA tournament.

The Golden Lions eventually faced the NCAA National Champion Duke University basketball team in the first round of the tournament. Arkansas-Pine Bluff was the only Division I institution from the state of Arkansas to qualify for the NCAA tournament. For his teams outstanding accomplishments on the court Ivory was named the 2010 HSRN National Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach from Arkansas-Pine Bluff to be awarded such honors. On April 6, 2021, Ivory resigned from UAPB after 13 seasons at the helm.[3]

Mississippi Valley State

On March 14, 2022, Ivory was named the 12th head coach at his alma mater, Mississippi Valley State, replacing Lindsey Hunter.[4]

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (2008–2021)
2008–09 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 13–1811–74th
2009–10 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 18–1614–42ndNCAA Division I Round of 64
2010–11 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 7–247–117th
2011–12 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 11–229–95th
2012–13 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 16–1415–3T–2nd
2013–14 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 13–1811–74th
2014–15 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 12–209–9T–5th
2015–16 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 8–256–12T–7th
2016–17 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 7–256–12T–8th
2017–18 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 14–2112–6T–2nd
2018–19 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 13–1910–8T–3rd
2019–20 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 4–263–15T–9th
2020–21 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 4–213–129th
Arkansas–Pine Bluff: 140–269 (.342)116–115 (.502)
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (2022–present)
2022–23 Mississippi Valley State 1–134–14
Mississippi Valley State: 1–13 (.071)4–14 (.222)
Total:141–282 (.333)

      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
  1. Associated Press. "Arkansas-Pine Bluff hires Miss. Valley State assistant Ivory as new coach." ESPN.com, March 27, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3315221
  2. "George Ivory College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  3. "Ivory Resigns As UAPB Men's Basketball Coach". UA Pine Bluff Athletics.
  4. "George Ivory Named 12th Men's Basketball Head Coach". Mississippi Valley State University Athletics.
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