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Jeff Law
University of Hawaii at Hilo basketball coach Jeff Law’s teams have accomplished many things over his 11-year tenure on and off the court.
In 2004-05 Law was named the NABC/NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year. Weeks earlier he was honored as the Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year.
Law rebuilt a program that had one winning record over 12 seasons and has his program on a four-year string of winning seasons. At the end of the 2002-03 regular season, he became the first UH Hilo basketball coach to take a team to an NCAA Regional. During his tenure, 16 players have earned all-conference recognition.
In the community, his program is active in camps and clinics as well as community events and the Special Olympics.
But getting to this point was not an easy road for the Long Island, New York native.
“It's the old saying, ‘anything worth having is worth waiting and working for,’" Law said. “That is true for coaching. If you get it too fast you don't appreciate it.
“It takes a lot of breaks, networking and a lot of luck. There's a lot of perseverance, a lot of rejection, a lot of work, a lot of paying your dues just to get into the network to establish a relationship.”
His coaching career began in 1985 as an assistant varsity coach at his alma-mater SUNY-Plattsburgh. Following the season, he moved on to Hobart College to become the head coach of the junior varsity team and assistant varsity coach until the end of the 1988 season.
Before accepting the UH Hilo position, Law spent eight of the last ten years as an assistant to Riley Wallace at the University of Hawai`i. During that time the Rainbows were 142-96.
During his break from Hawai`i, Law was an assistant coach at Santa Monica College (1993-94) and associate head coach at Los Angeles City College (1992-93).
Since arriving in Hilo, Law has stressed discipline and hard work on the court and in the classroom from his athletes.
”You appreciate things more when you work harder for it,” Law said. “When it comes too easy, you don't respect it as much. And that's one of the things I would like to think that is being passed on to the players.
“I like to get along with the guys…give the guys their space. Yet, when they are in practice and games they need to be responsible for what's going on and be accountable.”
Despite losing two of his top returning players before the start of the 2004-05 season, he accomplished much with his squad. Unranked in the pre-season, they landed in the 8th spot in the final NABC/NCAA Division II poll. They held onto the top spot in the West Region for three consecutive weeks before dropping to the second spot in the final poll. Selected to finish second in the Pacific West Conference, the Vulcans claimed the title. The team's final 25-4 record was the second best winning percentage in Vulcan basketball history at .862.
Four players were recognized as all-conference players while Skip Esene earned all-West Region honors.
Among his own accomplishments, Law recorded his 100th career victory with a 95-80 victory over Western New Mexico University on January 4.
The 2002-03 season set the standards for the program. UH Hilo finished the season 18-10, second in the Pacific West Conference, ranked sixth in the Region and earned a spot in the NCAA West Regional. It was also the program's third consecutive winning season and second consecutive 18-win season. The Vulcans led the conference in turnover margin and was second in free throw percentage, steals and offensive rebounds. Three players received all-conference recognition.
The 2001-02 team chalked up an 18-9 record, the most wins over the previous 12 seasons. Two players were selected all-conference players.
During the 2000-01 season, the Vulcan racked up a 16-11 record, the first winning season in six years. Three players earned all-conference recognition.
Law's building process began during 1998-99 season. He used a skeleton crew of three returning players and a handful of freshmen, and pulled off several upsets including an overtime victory of then 7th-ranked and undefeated Midwestern State University.
Law has compiled a 165-126 record over 11 years.
As a player, Law was a prep standout at Mt. Assumption (NY) High and later played at SUNY-Plattsburgh.
Law graduated from SUNY-Plattsburgh in 1985 with a degree in mass media communication.
