Jeremy Cox

Jeremy Cox is in his first season as an assistant coach at Nebraska after joining the staff in May of 2011.

Cox, who has spent nearly two decades in the collegiate coaching ranks, has a track record of success as an assistant at the Division I level, including stints in the Big East, SEC and Big 12, as well as a head coach in the junior college ranks.

"I've known Jeremy for almost 20 years, and have worked with him and watched him work with other programs," Sadler said. "He's a tireless recruiter and also a very, very good basketball coach. When you put the things together for what you are looking for in an assistant, Jeremy fits all of those criteria. I think he is a perfect match for what we are trying to get done here."

Cox, whose first game as a Division I assistant coach came against Nebraska in 1993 when he was at UTSA, said the opportunity to work with Sadler, who hired him as an assistant at Arkansas-Fort Smith was something he could not pass up.

"First of all is a chance to work with Doc," Cox said. "The relationship I've had with him over the years and the belief I have in him as a coach. Anyone who has seen Doc's teams play over the years knows how hard and smart they play. I think he is right on the cusp of doing great things here. Second, it is a chance to be at Nebraska. The commitment to winning and the support shown to student-athletes is second to none. I've admired it from a distance and am excited to be here."

Cox, who has coached 10 student-athletes who have reached the NBA, comes to Nebraska after spending the last two seasons at the University of South Florida. His two years at the school were highlighted by the program's first two wins in the Big East Tournament, including a 16-point comeback against Villanova in 2011,

In his first year at the school, Cox assisted the Bulls to USF's third 20-win season with a 20-13 record and the school's first postseason appearance since 2002 (NIT). The Bulls won a school-record nine Big East contests and were led by first-round draft pick Dominique Jones, who earned honorable-mention All-America honors.

Jones, who was picked by Dallas with the 25th pick after winning the Big East scoring title as a junior, was one of two players coached by Cox selected in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He joined Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson, who was the No. 14 overall selection by the Houston Rockets.

Prior to coaching at USF, Cox spent two years at the University of Kentucky for coach Billy Gillispie, helping the Kentucky Wildcats to the NCAA tournament in 2008 and the NIT quarterfinals in 2009. In his two seasons as an assistant coach at Kentucky, the Wildcats posted 40 overall wins and a 12-4 conference record in 2007-08. That same season the Wildcats earned their 17th-straight berth into the NCAA tournament.

Cox was added to the Kentucky staff after serving under Gillispie as an assistant coach at Texas A&M in 2006-07, where he helped lead the Aggies to a spot in the Sweet 16 and a school-best final ranking of ninth in both the Associated Press and Coaches' polls. That season, the Aggies finished second in the Big 12 with a 13-3 record and were led by Acie Law, who earned consensus first-team All-America honors and was a first-round pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Prior to his time in College Station, Cox was the head coach at UA-Fort Smith for three seasons, guiding the Lions to the 2006 National Junior College Championship while also being named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year.   He led the Lions to an 85-15 record, three consecutive 20-win seasons and two Bi-State Conference East Division Championships.

In the 2006 season, UA-Fort Smith was the unanimous preseason No. 1-ranked team in the nation for the first time in recent history and won its first NJCAA Region II championship since 2002 and its first national championship since 1981.

Cox began his association with UA-Fort Smith in 2002 when he was hired by Sadler, then the head coach and athletic director of the school. Cox served as an assistant under Sadler for one year before Cox was promoted to head coach when Sadler went to UTEP.

Cox arrived in Fort Smith after serving four years (1998-99 through 2001-02) as head coach at Garden City College (Kan.), where his teams amassed a 93-36 slate (.721 winning percentage).

He got his first head coaching position at North Dakota State College of Science, where he led his team in 1997-98 to a 19-9 record and the NJCAA Region XIII Championship. He was tagged 1998 NJCAA Region XIII Coach of the Year for his efforts.  In eight years as a head coach, Cox's teams have compiled a 197-63 record.

Before his years as a head coach, Cox spent time as an assistant at Paris College (Texas) in 1992-93, and later was as an assistant at the University of Texas-San Antonio for four seasons (1993-97).

He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at the University of Wyoming during the 1991-92 season under head coach Benny Dees.

Cox also served as the court coach for the USA Basketball Under-21 World Championships team in 2005.

Cox graduated cum laude in 1991 from Mesa State College (Colo.) and received his master's degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy (Ala.) in 1999.

He and his wife, Cindy, have a son, Austin, and a daughter Kaili.