Player Bio: Bill Nelson :: Men's Basketball

Bill Nelson

Position:
Head Coach

Experience:
23rd Season

Since arriving at Johns Hopkins in 1986, Bill Nelson has established Johns Hopkins men's basketball as one of the top Division III programs in the country. Nelson, the winningest coach in program history, owns a 368-209 (.638) record in 22 seasons at Hopkins and has led eight teams to the NCAA tournament, including a streak of five consecutive appearances from 1990 through 1994.

Despite graduating five seniors that accounted for over 4,000 points and 2,000 rebounds, Nelson guided the Blue Jays to their 13th consecutive winning season and the Centennial Conference Tournament in 2007-08. Hopkins went 16-10 overall last season with a 12-6 mark in the conference.

The 2006-07 season was the most successful in school history as Nelson led the Blue Jays to a 24-5 record, the 2007 Centennial Conference title and a trip to the NCAAs. The 24 wins are a school record as the season began with a nine-game win streak. The Blue Jays went 15-3 in the Centennial Conference on the way to both the regular season and tournament titles. Hopkins also took home the second annual Provident Bank Pride of Maryland Championship in November.

Some of Nelson's earliest seasons yielded his best results. The 1991-92 Hopkins squad finished 20-8 and received its first-ever national ranking, climbing as high as No. 13 in the national poll. The previous year, the Blue Jays finished with a 19-10 mark, won their first Middle Atlantic Conference Southern Division Championship since 1974 and advanced to the NCAA Second Round. In 1989-90, Hopkins went 20-8 and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament by defeating FDU-Madison and Franklin & Marshall.

More recently, Nelson led the 1998-99 team to a tie for the then-school record for wins with a 21-6 mark, a Centennial Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. The following season, the Blue Jays went 18-9 and advanced to the ECAC South Tournament Semifinals, and in 2000-01 and 2001-02 Hopkins enjoyed competitive 15-9 seasons. In 2002-03 Hopkins went 19-7 and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals.

The 2003-04 season saw a young Blue Jay team post a 17-10 record and make an appearance in the Centennial Conference finals and the ECAC South Quarterfinals. His 2004-05 Blue Jays finished 14-11, notching the program's 10th consecutive winning season. In 2005-06, he guided Hopkins to an 18-8 record and a berth in the Centennial Conference Tournament Championship game. Nelson has led Hopkins to winning records in all but two of his 22 campaigns at Homewood.

During his tenure at Hopkins, Nelson has coached numerous all-conference and all-region players. Matt Griffin, a 2007 graduate, was named a finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy, given annually to honor the most outstanding men's and women's Division III basketball players of the year. Andy Enfield, a 1991 graduate, was a two-time Academic All-American and a Third Team All-America selection as a senior. He still holds the NCAA Division III career free throw percentage record (92.5%). Four years ago, Steve Adams was named to the ECAC All-Southern Division Second Team for the second straight year. Additionally, Nelson coached the Centennial Conference Players of the Year from 1997 through 1999 and four of his players have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships since 1990. No other men's basketball program in the nation at any level had more NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients than the Blue Jays' four in the 1990's.

Five of Nelson's former players have been inducted into the Johns Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame, including 2008 inductee Frank Grzywacz, a 1994 graduate.

Prior to arriving at Hopkins, Nelson had successful tenures at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Nazareth College. Two of his Nazareth squads earned NCAA tournament bids and the 1985-86 team finished 23-5 and ranked seventh in the final D-III poll. In 1983-84, Nelson was selected as the Eastern Region Coach of the Year, guiding Nazareth to a 22-6 record and a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals. While at Nazareth, Nelson coached Jeff Van Gundy, who coached in the NBA for 11 seasons.

Nelson attended the State University of New York at Brockport, earning a bachelor's degree in 1965, and went on to receive a master's degree from the University of Oregon. Nelson and his wife, Margaret, live in Ellicott City. They have two daughters, Laura and Katie. Laura is a special education teacher in the Baltimore City School District. Katie, a 2006 graduate of the University of Massachusetts and four-year letterwinner for the UMass women's basketball team, is an assistant coach at Navy.