Atlanta, GA – South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets head women’s basketball coach James Frey has been named the 2021 United State Marine Corps/WBCA Two-Year College National Coach of the Year, announced the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association today.
Frey will receive the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the late legendary University of Tennessee coach and awarded annually to the national coaches of the year in each of the WCBA’s six membership divisions.
“The WBCA is proud to announced James Frey as the 2021 recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the United States Marine Corps/WBCA Two-Year College National Coach of the Year,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. “We also congratulate the other head coaches who were selected by their peers as finalists for this prestigious award.”
The other four nominees included: Benjamin Conrad of Johnson County Community College (KS), Taylor Harris of Miles Community College (MT), Scott Hyland of Hill College (TX), and Cameron Turner of Eastern Arizona College. The WBCA has been recognizing the top coaches in Two-Year Colleges, as well as the NCAA Division I, II, and II leagues since 1983. They began recognizing the NAIA Top Coaches in 1985 and added high school coaches in 1990.
Coach Cayla Petree of South Plains College (Texas) won in 2020, Mary “Roonie” Scovel of Gulf Coach State College received the award in 2019 and Chad Killinger of Moberly Area Community College earned the Two-Year National Coach of the Year in 2018.
“James Frey was chosen for this honor after leading his team to an exceptional season. The WBCA recognizes and applauds his leadership example that can be seen in his student-athletes, institution and community.”
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford also congratulated SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey on his leadership on and off the court. “This is a tremendous honor for Coach Frey as well as for the women’s basketball program and players at South Georgia Technical College,” said Dr. Watford. “Coach Frey is very deserving of this recognition. He has a tremendous win-loss record as a head coach but he has an even better record of developing and molding these young ladies and preparing them for a career after basketball. He is concerned about the student-athlete and not just focused on the athlete, which is a true testament to an outstanding coach worthy of this honor.”
In his ninth season as head coach of the Lady Jets, Frey directed South Georgia Tech to a 22 – 4 record, the NJCAA Region XVII Championship, the NJCAA Southeast District Championship, and the Lady Jets fifth consecutive trip to the NJCAA National Tournament and seventh with him as the head coach. The Lady Jets ended the season with a loss to Tyler Junior College in the Sweet Sixteen round of the Division I National Tournament.
Frey was named head coach at South Georgia Tech in June 2012. This was his first head coaching position. He had over 20 years of experience as a recruiter and assistant coach at the College of Coastal Georgia prior to joining SGTC.
During his nine years at the helm of the Lady Jets, Frey has had 20 plus wins each season. In his first season as a head coach, he put together a 20 – 12 record and made it to the final four in the NJCAA Region XVII tournament. That is the only year at SGTC that he recorded double-digit losses. His overall record is 247 – 52 and he has had four 30-plus winning seasons. He has been named the GCAA Coach of the Year six times in nine years and has won the GCAA Conference six times, the NJCAA Region XVII tournament and District J championships seven times, and has taken the Lady Jets to the NJCAA Division I women’s basketball National Tournament seven times in nine years. He has won nearly 80% of his games as a head coach. He was a finalist for the NJCAA Division I World Exposure’s Women’s Coach of Year in 2020.
“The United States Marine Corps extends its congratulations to the 2021 winners of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year Awards,” said Colonel Heather J. Cotoia (Commanding Officer, 4th Marine Corps District). “This award is a testament to your dedication and commitment to your profession and the young Americans under your charge. Again, congratulations on your achievements this season, and on your selection as the WBCA National Coaches of the Year.”
The United States Marine Corps/WBCA Two- Year College National Coach of the Year is selected by a committee of coaches. The WBCA was founded in 1981 and is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates these coaches, players, and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
South Georgia Technical College Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey (center), who was selected as the WBCA National Two Year College Women’s basketball Coach of the Year, is shown above with the nine sophomores on the 2020 – 2021 Lady Jets women’s basketball team. They are: Niya McGuire, Hope Butera, Imani McNeal, Kamiya Hollingshed, Flore Ngasamputu, Femme Sikuzani, Sarah Lwambo, and WBCA All-American Moe Shida.