Jim Molinari
Jim Molinari (born December 26, 1954)
Current position: Assistant men’s basketball coach
Current team: Boston College Eagles (Head coach: Earl Grant)
Current conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Teams coached: Northern Illinois Huskies, Bradley Braves, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Western Illinois Leathernecks
Northern Illinois record: 42-17 (.712)
Bradley record: 174-152 (.534)
Minnesota record: 7-17 (.292)
Western Illinois record: 79-104 (.432)
Overall record: 302-290 (.510)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (1991, 1996)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 5 (1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001)
- CBI Appearances: 2 (2012, 2013)
- Summit League Regular Season Champion: 2 (1991, 2013)
- Missouri Valley Regular Season Champion: 1 (1996)
Awards:
- Summit League Coach of the Year: 2 (1991, 2013)
- Missouri Valley Coach of the Year: 1 (1996)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2021-present | Boston College (asst) |
| 2019-2021 | Oklahoma (asst) |
| 2014-2019 | Nebraska (asst) |
| 2008-2014 | Western Illinois |
| 2007-2008 | Ball State (asst) |
| 2006-2007 | Minnesota (interim HC) |
| 2004-2006 | Minnesota (asst) |
| 1991-2002 | Bradley |
| 1989-1991 | Northern Illinois |
| 1979-1989 | DePaul (asst) |
Jim Molinari Facts
- James R. Molinari
- Born December 26, 1954
- Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
- Alma Mater: Illinois Wesleyan University (BA, 1977) / DePaul University (JD, 1980)
- Graduated from Glenbard West HS (IL) and played two seasons for Jack Hartman at Kansas State T
- Transferred to Illinois Wesleyan to finish his degree and playing career
- Started as a part-time assistant at DePaul in 1978, going full-time a year later; Molinari earned his law degree from DePaul in 1980 and passed the Illinois BAR Exam
- Spent ten seasons as an assistant at DePaul, five under Hall of Famer Ray Meyer and five more under his son, Joey Meyer
- Spent two years as the head coach at Northern Illinois, winning a conference title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1991 before leaving for the same position at Bradley
- Won 174 games and went to the postseason 6 times (5 NIT, 1 NCAA) in ten years at Bradley
- Took an assistant job in 2004 at Minnesota under Dan Monson, eventually taking over as interim head coach for the majority of the 2006-07 season after Monson’s resignation
- After one season at Ball State under Billy Taylor, Molinari was hired in 2008 to coach the Western Illinois Leathernecks
- Won 79 games and went to two CBI Tournaments in six years at WIU
- Went 22-7 in 2012-13 en route to a Summit League regular season title
- Spent five seasons as an assistant on Tim Miles‘ staff at Nebraska from 2014-2019
- Hired by Lon Kruger at Oklahoma in April 2019 and spent two seasons as an assistant coach until Kruger’s retirement in 2021
- Molinari then joined new Boston College head coach Earl Grant‘s first staff as an assistant in April 2021
- Along with his former wife, Carol, has four children
Jim Molinari Coaching Tree
- Rob Judson (Northern Illinois)
- Ritchie McKay (Liberty, New Mexico, Oregon State, Colorado State, Portland State)
- Niko Medved (Colorado State, Drake, Furman)
- Howard Moore (UIC)
- Bill Walker (Missouri S&T, Illinois-Springfield)
- Billy Wright (Western Illinois)
