Head Coach Jim Jabir heads into his third season as the Friars leader.

Question and Answer Session with Friars' Head Coach

Comments from the Friars' leader, Jim Jabir.

October 23, 1998

What type of player do you look for to fit into your program?
"A successful Friar would be a person who is very hard working, has great character and confidence. Our players know we are rebuilding a once great program and it takes a certain type of player to do that. They must believe in themselves and each other for us to accomplish our goal."

Why did you come to Providence?
"I came to Providence because it represented a great challenge in bringing the program back to national prominence and to the top of the BIG EAST, a conference I grew up admiring. But, more than that, Providence is a school that places great value in education and in dealing with people as whole entities. Its small, family environment is where I'm most comfortable."

Why do you play such a tough non-conference schedule?
"Simply, if you want to be the best, you've got to play and compete against the best. Our players want to see the best competition as do our fans."

What do you see in the future of the Friar program?
"We are all working very hard to create a nationally recognized basketball program that graduates every player with a meaningful degree and a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. I want people to worry about playing Providence."

What is your playing style at Providence?
"We want to be one of the highest scoring, fastest transition teams in the BIG EAST and in the country. Having said that we also want to have a tremendous defensive presence dictating the tempo of each game. We want to instill confidence in each player so we are a deep team and a team hard to defend."

In being part of the BIG EAST, what makes PC so unique?
"I think the thing that makes Providence so unique is our small size and family atmosphere competing in one of the strongest basketball conferences in the country. We can, I hope, compete against the big universities, do well on the floor, and come home to our little campus."

What's your relationship with your players?
"My players are an extension of my own family. I let them know all the time that I care about them a great deal and they can come to me with any problems or concerns. I think I demand a great deal from them; they work very hard for me and there is a real mutual respect. I don't want them to do the right thing because they're afraid of me. I want them to do it because it is the right thing to do."

What resources do your players have to balance academics with basketball?
"Because of our small size we are very in touch with our player's academic strengths and weaknesses. The faculty get to know our players on a first name basis and are more involved in their academic development. We have a full-time academic advisement staff for our athletes as well as tutors, study hall and computers on campus and on the road. This is a big reason why we have a 100% graduation rate."

What is the strength of a liberal arts education?
"A liberal arts education prepares the whole person in a more well rounded way. Faculty and staff will teach specific skills but the ability to think, reason, organize, communicate in every way makes a liberal arts degree invaluable in today's world. With a liberal arts background, students can go on to any field and do well because they are prepared for anything."

Have you ever had the benefit of coaching a player who is now playing professionally?
"Yes, we've been fortunate to have several players who are now playing professionally in Europe and in the United States. I'm so pleased for them and our program because they have worked hard and deserve it. Players playing professionally from our program shows that we are adequately preparing our players for the next level."

How would you describe yourself as a coach?
"I think I am a players coach. I want them to understand I'm here to help them become better people, students and players. I'm not someone they should fear but trust. I don't think you make long term gains when players respond through fear. I want them to do things the right way because they are honest, respectful, hard working, responsible people who when given the choice, will pick the right way just because it is the right way."