MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF
Jerry Eaves · Bill Sutton · Alphonza Kee · Bryant Paylor · Marq King
Jerry Eaves
Head Coach
Second Season
University of Louisville, 1986
Jerry Eaves begins his second season as head coach at N.C. A&T, after several stints on both the collegiate and professional levels as an assistant. Last season, he led a team which tripled its win total from 2002-03 after installing a turnover forcing, in-your-face defense which dropped its points allowed total nearly seven points per game. His first recruit, freshman Sean Booker, averaged 15 points per game en route to MEAC All-Rookie honors.
Eaves came to Greensboro after one season serving on the staff of John Lucas for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Prior to his arrival at Cleveland, Eaves spent three seasons in Charlotte, NC, where he was an assistant on the staff of the Charlotte Hornets, where he worked with Paul Silas, the organization's all-time winningest coach.
Both Eaves and Silas were on the New Jersey Nets bench during the 1994-95 season when both were assistants under then head coach Butch Beard (now the head coach at MEAC rival Morgan State University). It was the first of two campaigns that Eaves would spend with the Nets before returning to his alma mater, the University of Louisville, as an assistant to Hall-of-Fame coach Denny Crum.
Prior to joining the Hornets, Eaves spent three seasons (1996-97 through 1998-99) at Louisville, helping lead the Cardinals to a combined 57-40 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Prior to his stints with New Jersey and Louisville, he was an associate head coach at Howard University for four years (1990-94), supervising recruiting, scheduling, travel and practices. During his tenure, he worked with Beard and current A&T assistant Bill Sutton. The three led Howard to the school's only MEAC Championship in 1992 and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
As an NBA professional, Eaves played in the league for four seasons. Drafted by the Utah Jazz in the third round (55th overall pick) of the 1982 NBA Draft, Eaves appeared in 162 games in two complete seasons for Utah and also played for the Atlanta Hawks (1984-85) and Sacramento Kings (1985-86). He averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 assists in 168 career NBA games. For the 1989-90 season, Eaves served as a scout for the Utah Jazz.
At Louisville, Eaves was a starting guard on the 1980 NCAA championship team that defeated UCLA in the final game in Indianapolis. In four seasons with the Cardinals, Eaves averaged 9.7 points, on 50.5-percent shooting from the floor, 2.6 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 129 career games and was named All-Metro Conference for the 1980-81 season. Eaves ranked 30th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,250 points. He was inducted into the University of Louisville Athletic Hall of Fame.
Prior to Eaves arrival at the University of Louisville, he was a star at Ballard High School as a three-year starter. He earned a selection as a McDonald's All-American following his senior season (1978). He led Ballard to a state championship during that same season.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Eaves, earned a degree in business and sports management from the University of Louisville in 1986. Eaves and his wife Sheila have four children: Lee Anne, Ashley, Frankie and Anthony.
Bill Sutton
Assistant Coach
Sixth Season
N.C. A&T, 1957
Bill Sutton, a native of Aropahoe, NC, enters his sixth season as an assistant at N.C. A&T. Sutton brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the Aggie basketball program.
Prior to his arrival at N.C. A&T, Sutton was head coach at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. At Montgomery, the Knights won the Region XX Championship and a sixth place finish in the nation in 1996. Also during that season, the Knights were ranked as high as fourth in the nation.
Sutton also served as head coach at nearby Gaithersburg High School. He led Gaithersburg to the Regional Championship in 1988 and the Regional Finals in 1989. Following a successful high school career, he moved on to college coaching at Howard University.
While at Howard, he helped coach the Bison to the 1992 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament along with current A&T head coach Jerry Eaves and current Morgan State head coach Butch Beard.
Sutton will handle game day preparation and often gives insight against opponents. He also works with the low post players throughout the season. He is the director of basketball operations, overseeing scheduling and traveling duties.
Assistant Coach
Second Season
Fayetteville State, 1998
Alphonza Kee begins his second season as as assistant coach at N.C. A&T. Kee's responsibilities include working and coaching perimeter players and pre-game opponent scouting. He is also the Aggie recruiting coordinator.
Kee played two years at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado. While at Lamar, Kee excelled as a three-point shooter, and once hit a school record ten treys in one contest. Following his JUCO career, he enrolled at Fayetteville State University, where he lettered two seasons under head coach Rick Duckett. Kee completed his academic requirements, earning a B.A. degree in sociology from FSU in 1998.
Kee played in the professional division in Australia and in New Zealand with Athletes in Action before returning to America, where he began his coaching career as an assistant at Fayetteville State during the '97-'98 season. Kee has served on the staffs at Chowan College, Winston Salem State University, and Western Carolina University, before his arrival at N.C. A&T.
Assistant Coach
Third Season
N.C. A&T, 2002
Paylor begins his second season with the Aggies. His responsibilities include working with point guards, scouting, monitoring student-athletes academic progress, and serving as the video coordinator.
A walk-on player who joined the Aggies his senior season, he scored a career high of seven points against top ranked Duke University in a nationally televised contest.
Following the 2002-03 season, Paylor joined the coaching staff as a graduate assistant.
Presently enrolled in the Health and Physical Education Department, Paylor is pursuing a Master's Degree.
Assistant Coach
Second Season
N.C. A&T, 1997
King begins his second season at his alma mater, joining Coach Eaves staff in the summer prior to the 2003-04 season. King's responsibilities will include coaching guards and scouting opponents.
Prior to joining N.C. A&T, King served as an assistant boys basketball coach at Burlington (N.C.) Cummings High School, helping the team win state 3-A championships in 2001 and 2002. He also coached at Lakeside Academy for two seasons, garnering a .800 winning percentage.
King, a point guard, competed at the junior college level while serving our nation as an enlistee in the United States Army as a member of the Fort Riley (KS) Sabers.
After completing his duties, King returned to North Carolina, where he attended N.C. A&T, earning his bachelor's degree in English in 1998.
In addition
to his
basketball
coaching duties,
King serves the
University as an
English teacher.
