Jeremy Cox took the reins of the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith men's basketball program prior to the 2003 season and had the Lions consistently at the top of the NJCAA ranks.

Cox recorded three consecutive 20-win seasons while leading the Lions, compiling an 85-15 record from 2003-06, winning two Bi-State Conference East Division Championships. Cox had initially served as an assistant in 2002-03 on Doc Sadler's coaching staff.

"When I hired Jeremy, I wanted him to come in and coach like it was his own team," Sadler said. "As an assistant coach, he took great pride in doing that. Sometimes that's hard to do, but he did a great job with that."

That experience paid off in the 2005-06 season, as the Lions started the year as the No. 1 ranked team in the NJCAA. Cox led the Lions to a 34-3 record and the second national championship in program history with a 68-59 win over Tallahassee Community College.

Cox was named the District II Coach of the Year and NJCAA National Coach of the Year that season.

"Coach Cox brought me in as a 17-year-old kid from West Memphis, Arkansas, and taught me how to be a man," UAFS Hall of Famer Sonny Weems said, who played for Cox from 2004-06 and a key member of the championship team. "He showed me the ropes and showed me what hard work was like."

Cox compiled a 224-68 career record as a junior college head coach before joining the NCAA I ranks as an assistant coach.

He has experience coaching in the Big 12, SEC, Big East and Big Ten and has worked with 16 players who have gone on to play in the NBA. He also worked on the UAFS Basketball U21 staff in 2005.  

According to Sadler, Cox is one of the best basketball minds he has ever met.

"Jeremy is extremely loyal, and one of the hardest working coaches in this business at any level," Sadler continued. "He's always working to get better and what he has done is second to no one."