Jerry Hobbie is in his eighth season at SMU (2017-18), his second as the Director of Recruiting. He was an assistant coach in 2015-16 after serving as Special Assistant to the Head Coach (2013-15). He was also the Director of Basketball Operations (2012-13) after an earlier stint as assistant coach (2010-12).
In 2016-17, the Mustangs won The American season and tournament titles en route to the NCAA Tournament and a program-record 30 victories (30-5). SMU went 18-0 at home, 17-1 in the AAC and had winning streaks of 10 games and 16 games in a stretch that saw wins in 26 of 27 outings. The Ponies were ranked in the Associated Press top 25 for the last six weeks of the season, finishing No. 11 in the AP and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Five Mustangs garnered league awards with Semi Ojeleye being named The American Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Ojeleye was also All-AAC First Team, AP All-America Honorable Mention and CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team. Ben Moore, Sterling Brown and Shake Milton made the All-AAC Second Team. Ben Emelogu II was named AAC Co-Sixth Man of the Year. After winning the conference tournament, Moore and Brown were named All-Tournament with Ojeleye selected as the Most Outstanding Player. Moore and Brown were selected to play in the NABC All-Star game at the Final Four in Phoenix.
In 2015-16, the Mustangs finished 25-5 with a 16-1 record at Moody Coliseum. SMU was second in the American Athletic Conference at 13-5. The Ponies were No. 24 in the final AP Top 25 after reaching as high as No. 8 during the season. The final poll was the 17th straight week in the AP Top 25. The Mustangs won the Las Vegas Classic en route to a program-best 18-0 start; eventually becoming the last undefeated team in NCAA Division I. SMU led The American in 8 of 21 statistical rankings and ranked in the top 10 of 7 NCAA stat categories. Nic Moore was selected AAC Player of the Year and AP All-America Honorable Mention for the second straight season. He was named All-AAC First Team for the third straight season. Nic Moore was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, a member of the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, on the Naismith Midseason Watch List and on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List. Markus Kennedy was on the Karl Malone Award Watch List and earned his second straight AAC Sixth Man of the Year honor. Shake Milton was a unanimous pick for the AAC All-Rookie team. Ben Moore was named to the NABC All-District Second Team.
In 2014-15, SMU claimed the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles en route to reaching the NCAA Tournament. SMU finished the season 27-7 overall. The Mustangs went 15-3 in league play, clinching the outright league title (first since 1993) with a 67-62 win against Tulsa in a sold out Moody Coliseum on March 8. The team followed that by winning the AAC tournament title 62-54 over Connecticut. The Mustangs spent nine weeks in the AP and USA Today Top 25 and set home attendance records for a season (124,986) and average (6,944) while going 16-2 in Moody Coliseum. Nic Moore was named AP All-American Honorable Mention and AAC Player of the Year, Markus Kennedy was AAC Sixth Man of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Championship, and Yanick Moreira was named the AAC’s Most Improved Player.
In 2013-14, he helped the Mustangs into the national spotlight as SMU earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT and eventually reaching the title game at Madison Square Garden. SMU was in the top 25 in four of the last five regular season polls, being ranked for the first time since 1984-85. The Mustangs led the AAC and finished in the top 20 nationally in field goal percentage (48.3%, 18th NCAA) and field goal percentage defense (38.5%, 7th NCAA).
Hobbie's first season at SMU (2010-11) was the most successful season on the Hilltop in more than a decade. The Mustangs recorded their first 20-win season and first postseason bid since 1999-2000; finishing 20-15 and advancing to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) semifinals. In his second year as an assistant (2011-12), SMU set the school record for scoring defense (60.1).
He came to SMU after three consecutive postseason campaigns as an assistant coach at Houston, including the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Hobbie previously spent eight years at Fairfield and a season at Fordham, his alma mater. His teams have made the postseason in nine times at the collegiate level as a player and coach.
In 2009-10, Hobbie helped the Cougars win the Conference USA Tournament Championship. In 2008-09, the Cougars went 21-12 and finished fourth in C-USA and earned a second straight College Basketball Invitational berth. During his first season with the UH program in 2007-08, Hobbie helped the Cougars to a 24-10 record, the team's highest single-season win total in nearly two decades.
In 2006-07, he was as an assistant coach for Wilmington (NC) of the ABA, helping the Sea Dawgs to a 22-9 record and the league semifinals.
Prior to Wilmington, Hobbie served eight seasons on the basketball staff at Fairfield University. He served three seasons as an associate head coach and was an assistant coach for five seasons before his promotion in 2003-04. In 2002-03, Fairfield finished 19-12 and earned a NIT berth. The Stags featured four MAAC Defensive Players of the Year, while Darren Phillip was the national rebounding leader in 2000 and Deng Gai led the nation in blocked shots in 2005 before he played with the Philadelphia 76ers.
After his collegiate and professional playing days, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Fordham in 1986-87.
From there, he headed to Wall Street, working as a U.S. government securities bond broker for 10 years in New York City. During his last four years in private business, he also served as an assistant coach at St. Patrick's High in Elizabeth, N.J. In 1998, Hobbie helped the team to a top-five national ranking by USA Today and the New Jersey state championship. While there, he worked with current NBA players Al Harrington and Samuel Dalembert.
Hobbie played professionally with the USBL's West Chester Golden Apples in 1985 and spent two seasons in Europe with Nottingham of the English Basketball Association in 1985 and 1986. He was a member of Nottingham's 1986 EBL Division II Championship team.
Hobbie played at Fordham for Tom Penders from 1981-85. There he set season records in free throw percentage and steals while setting single-game marks in assists and steals. During his collegiate career, the Rams won the MAAC championship in 1983 and earned four NIT berths from 1982-85. Hobbie was inducted into Fordham's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005-06.
His father Ernie Hobbie is a renowned shooting coach and the original "Shot Doctor,” consulting many NBA and collegiate players for more than five decades.
Hobbie received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Fordham in 1985. A native of Elizabeth, N.J., he and his wife, Paula, have two daughters, Joanna and Lea.
