Jean Prioleau (pronounced Zhaun Pre-low), whose resume includes 11 NCAA Division I post-season appearances in 18 seasons as an assistant coach, wrapped up his fourth season as San José State University men’s basketball head coach in 2020-21.
In four seasons, Prioleau helped guide two players to all-conference honors as guards Seneca Knight (2020) and Richard Washington (2021) were honorable mention selections in back-to-back seasons. In 2021, senior forward/center Ralph Agee became the first Spartan since 2017 to earn Mountain West Player of the Week honors.
Prioleau joined San José State in August 2017 after seven successful seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at the University of Colorado. The Buffaloes won 149 games, had five 20-win seasons and appeared in post-season play every year. Colorado played in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, the NIT in 2011 and 2017 and the CBI in 2015.
Besides the unprecedented sustained success of Colorado basketball, the Buffs also had four NBA draft choices during Prioleau’s seven seasons. Most recently, All-American guard Derrick White was the San Antonio Spurs first-round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie, a member of the Brooklyn Nets, was the 38th overall selection by the Detroit Pistons in 2014. Swingman Andre Roberson, a 2013 first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, completed his fourth season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Guard Alec Burks, the 12th overall pick by Utah in the 2011 NBA Draft, completed his sixth season with the Jazz.
Prioleau graduated in 1992 from Fordham University with a degree in physics. He finished his college basketball career second on the school’s all-time list in steals and assists and fifth in scoring with 1,442 points. He was a two-time second-team All-Patriot League player, was named to the 1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Rookie team and was part of the Rams’ 1991 and 1992 Patriot League championship teams. Prioleau was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
Born in New York City and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the 47-year-old Prioleau entered the coaching profession in 2000 after a playing career that included tryouts with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers of the NBA and experiences in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the United States Basketball League (USBL) and overseas in Turkey, Italy and Switzerland.
He began his college coaching career in 1999-2000 at his alma mater. Prioleau then spent five seasons at Wichita State (2001-05), the 2006 season at Marquette, two seasons at Iowa State (2007-08) and the 2009 and 2010 seasons at TCU before heading to Colorado. Wichita State played in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 NIT’s. The 2006 Marquette team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Prioleau and his wife, Janelle, are happily married and have a son named Elijah.
In four seasons, Prioleau helped guide two players to all-conference honors as guards Seneca Knight (2020) and Richard Washington (2021) were honorable mention selections in back-to-back seasons. In 2021, senior forward/center Ralph Agee became the first Spartan since 2017 to earn Mountain West Player of the Week honors.
Prioleau joined San José State in August 2017 after seven successful seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at the University of Colorado. The Buffaloes won 149 games, had five 20-win seasons and appeared in post-season play every year. Colorado played in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, the NIT in 2011 and 2017 and the CBI in 2015.
Besides the unprecedented sustained success of Colorado basketball, the Buffs also had four NBA draft choices during Prioleau’s seven seasons. Most recently, All-American guard Derrick White was the San Antonio Spurs first-round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie, a member of the Brooklyn Nets, was the 38th overall selection by the Detroit Pistons in 2014. Swingman Andre Roberson, a 2013 first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, completed his fourth season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Guard Alec Burks, the 12th overall pick by Utah in the 2011 NBA Draft, completed his sixth season with the Jazz.
Prioleau graduated in 1992 from Fordham University with a degree in physics. He finished his college basketball career second on the school’s all-time list in steals and assists and fifth in scoring with 1,442 points. He was a two-time second-team All-Patriot League player, was named to the 1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Rookie team and was part of the Rams’ 1991 and 1992 Patriot League championship teams. Prioleau was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
Born in New York City and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the 47-year-old Prioleau entered the coaching profession in 2000 after a playing career that included tryouts with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers of the NBA and experiences in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the United States Basketball League (USBL) and overseas in Turkey, Italy and Switzerland.
He began his college coaching career in 1999-2000 at his alma mater. Prioleau then spent five seasons at Wichita State (2001-05), the 2006 season at Marquette, two seasons at Iowa State (2007-08) and the 2009 and 2010 seasons at TCU before heading to Colorado. Wichita State played in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 NIT’s. The 2006 Marquette team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Prioleau and his wife, Janelle, are happily married and have a son named Elijah.