Jeff Rafferty became the associate head men’s basketball coach for North Carolina A&T on June 27, 2023, as announced by head men’s basketball coach Monté Ross. Rafferty spent nine years of his coaching career serving as Ross’ associate head coach at the University of Delaware (2007-16), where the duo helped the Blue Hens have some of their most successful seasons in program history.
Rafferty spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant men’s basketball coach for the Hartford Hawks, an independent Division I. Before coaching one season at Hartford, Rafferty spent six seasons (2016-22) at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). NJIT accomplished several feats during Rafferty’s tenure.
In 2019-20, Zach Cooks led the ASUN in scoring at 19.7 points per game while earning second-team ASUN honors. The prior season, the Highlanders made program history. They went 22-13 in 2018-19, breaking program records in road wins (11) and non-conference wins (13). During the ASUN tournament, the Highlanders earned a quarterfinal win over Florida Gulf Coast, marking the first time NJIT earned an ASUN tournament win.
Another first for the Highlanders came when it received its first AP Top-25 Poll vote on Dec. 10, 2018. They received one vote for three consecutive weeks (Dec. 10-24). Also, during the 2018-19 season, the Highlanders reached the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). It marked the program’s third trip to the tournament as they reached the quarterfinals before losing to Hampton.
The Highlanders were rewarded with a first-team ASUN selection in Abdul Lewis, a second-team ASUN selection in Cooks and an ASUN all-tournament team selection in Diandre Wilson. In addition, Lewis became the Highlanders all-time leading rebounder, reached 1,000 career rebounds (227 at South Alabama), and eclipsed 1,000 career points (1,015 at NJIT and 232 at South Alabama). He also broke the program’s single-game rebounding record (21) and the career double-doubles record (22). Meanwhile, Cooks finished the season with the third-highest single-season scoring average in program history (17.6).
Rafferty also coached Damon Lynn at NJIT. Lynn ended his career ranked fifth in NCAA history in 3-pointers made (434) and scored an all-time, program-best 2,153 points. In addition, Tim Coleman left NJIT with more than 1,400 points, 750 rebounds, 225 assists, 150 steals and 135 blocks.
But Rafferty earned incredible success at Delaware alongside Ross. The Blue Hens finished 25-10 during the 2013-14 season, posting a 14-2 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). As a result, the 2013-14 Blue Hens tied the program record for wins and won their first-ever CAA regular-season title. Delaware also won the tournament championship, capturing the CAA’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament, where the Blue Hens entered as the No. 13 seed in the East Regional.
In 2011-12, the Blue Hens reached the first round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) postseason tournament while going 18-14 overall and 12-6 in the CAA. Delaware posted a 19-14 record and a second-place finish in the CAA at 13-5 the following year.
Rafferty was instrumental in helping Ross build the Delaware program. He played a vital role in recruiting Devon Saddler, Delaware’s all-time leading scorer (2,222 points). Jamelle Higgins also became a significant recruit for the Blue Hens, as he became the program’s all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots. In 2008, FoxSports.com named him one of the top-10 mid-major assistant coaches in the nation. Four years later, RecruitDirt.com named him as the top assistant in the CAA.
Before Delaware, Rafferty was an assistant coach at the University of New Hampshire. He spent four seasons as an assistant at Division II UMass Lowell before going to UNH. The UMass Lowell River Hawks were 94-30 over those four seasons, making back-to-back appearances in the Division II Elite Eight (2003 & 2004). He also coached at Division III Union College and his alma mater, Springfield College. Springfield went a combined 40-17 during his tenure, including an appearance in the Division II Sweet 16.
Rafferty started his career by interning with the NBA’s Boston Celtics before landing a position with Texas-Pan American (now known as Texas Rio Grande Valley). Rafferty is a 1997 graduate of Springfield College. He is the proud father of three – sons, Patrick and Brendan, and daughter Kaitlyn.
