James Strong Position: Assistant Coach (Vanderbilt '00) Experience: 4th Year at Furman

After accepting Furman's head coaching position in April of 2006, Jeff Jackson began the task of assembling an assistant coaching staff, and his search didn't take long to secure the services of a known product in James Strong.

Strong's history with Jackson includes a six-year tenure at Vanderbilt, where he served as director of basketball video operations during Jackson's stint as an assistant coach on the Commodore staff.

Since joining Jackson's Furman program, Strong has already proven himself a valuable coach and recruiter as evidenced by the addition of seven newcomers in this year's freshman class.

Strong joined the Vanderbilt staff in 2000 after completing a solid four-year playing career with the Commodores. During his tenure on the court, he played a key role in Vanderbilt posting three winning seasons, one NCAA Tournament berth, and two trips to the National Invitation Tournament. As a junior he led the Southeastern Conference and set a school record with 77 steals, and finished his career ranked third in Vanderbilt history with 209 thefts.

A native of Huntsville, Ala., he earned a bachelor's degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt in 2000. Strong and his wife Tami, have one daughter, Kayla.