Before John Jakus, Dusty May: Who were FAU basketball's previous head coaches?

The John Jakus era at Florida Atlantic will begin in 2024 with the program in better condition than it ever has been after a coaching change.

Dusty May surpassed the accomplishments of his eight predecessors to become the best basketball coach in Florida Atlantic University history.

The Owls' stunning run to the Final Four was the exclamation point on a record 2023 season, which included the FAU's most single-season wins (35) and first NCAA Tournament victories.

May is the only FAU men's basketball coach to post a winning record while spending more than one season in charge of the Owls' program.

So which coaches came before Jakus and May at Florida Atlantic?

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Here's a breakdown of the nine FAU basketball coaches since the program's founding in 1988:

Lonnie Williams (1988-89)

Record: 9-19 in one season (.321)

Conference: Division II-Independent

Background: Williams was hired in 1987 to lead the fledgling Owls program through its foundation and first seasons of NCAA competition.

Previously the head coach at South Florida Community College, Williams earned the job over three other finalists: Bosko Djurickovic from Division III North Park University, Don Bostic from the University of Tampa and Jim Haley from Ocala Vanguard High.

Williams left the program after one season in a "bombshell" move to take over as head coach at University of California, Davis. He lasted one season on the West Coast with an 11-16 overall record.

1988-89: 9-19 (Not Affiliated with conference)

Tim Loomis (1989-95)

Record: 68-97 in six seasons (.412)

Conference: Division II-Independent, Atlantic Sun-Provisional

Background: FAU athletic director Jack Mehl whittled 211 applicants for the vacant job to a choice of four assistant coaches: Gary Tuell (Miami), Dan Hipsher (Dayton), Jeff Reynolds (Winthrop) and Tim Loomis (Penn State). John I. Leonard head coach Leonard Banks was also interviewed.

Loomis, a former Division II head coach and 10-handicap golfer, started strong in Boca Raton with three consecutive winning seasons — a feat no Owls coach before May could claim.

He ultimately guided the Owls into NCAA Division I as a provisional member of the Atlantic Sun, known then as the Trans America Athletic Conference, and led FAU into its first major matchups with programs such as Miami, Georgetown and Florida State.

A downturn in on-court results ultimately saw Loomis caught in the winds of change as FAU transitioned to major college athletics. He was fired as basketball coach in March 1995 and moved to a role as assistant athletic director of academics.

He resigned in July 1995, stating he no longer shared "ethical and moral standards" with university administration.

1989-90: 21-7 (N/A)

1990-91: 17-10 (N/A)

1991-92: 15-13 (N/A)

1992-93: 3-25 (N/A)

1993-94: 3-24 (N/A)*

1994-95: 9-18 (N/A)*

*As provisional member of NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun

Kevin Billerman (1995-99)

Record: 36-71 in four seasons (.371)

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Background: Former Duke player Kevin Billerman was selected to replace Loomis in 1995 ahead of several other interviewees: Former NBA player Sidney Green, St. Peter's head coach Ted Fiore, college coach Mike Frink, and assistants David Zimroth (Florida State), Steve Bennett (Evansville) and Delray Brooks (Kentucky).

Billerman led the Owls' first winning season in Division I in 1997 and recorded one of the biggest upsets in program history when FAU defeated No. 11 Oklahoma State 83-81 in Stillwater.

The upset ended Oklahoma State's 80-game home non-conference win streak and was FAU's only win over a Big 12 program prior to the Owls' win over Kansas State in the Elite Eight on Saturday.

Graduation from the 1997 team took a huge toll, however, and the program never fully regained its footing after the tragic death of top recruit Walker Turner due to a heart condition before the 1998 season.

1995-96: 9-18 (5-11)

1996-97: 16-11 (11-5)

1997-98: 5-22 (5-11)

1998-99: 6-20 (3-13)

Sidney Green (1999-2005)

Record: 54-121 in six seasons (.309)

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Background: Passed over for the Owls head coaching position in 1995, Green finally got his opportunity four years later and ultimately led FAU to the worst and what was the best season in program history.

Green's inaugural FAU team finished 2-28 and did not win an A-SUN game, losing 25 consecutive games at one point en route to one of the worst finishes in college basketball history.

The Owls finally broke through in 2002 by winning the ASUN Tournament to achieve the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance as a No. 15 seed. The Owls fought valiantly in an 86-78 loss to No. 2 seed Alabama.

Green never managed to recapture the magic of 2002, however, and the Owls finally moved on in 2005 after three consecutive losing seasons.

1999-2000: 2-28 (0-18)

2000-01: 7-24 (5-13)

2001-02: 19-12 (13-7)

2002-03: 7-21 (3-13)

2003-04: 9-19 (6-14)

2004-05: 10-17 (10-10)

Matt Doherty (2005-06)

Record: 15-13 in one season (.536)

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Background: One of the most prominent head coaches in FAU history, Doherty holds distinction as the only Owls head coach to leave Boca Raton with a winning record.

Doherty came to FAU after serving as head coach at Notre Dame and North Carolina and helped FAU to its best conference finish as a member of the ASUN. The Owls were also the focus of an ESPN2 reality show during his time as head coach.

Doherty soon became the target of Southern Methodist University in 2006. He accepted the Mustangs head coach position and stayed there for six seasons, finishing with a winning record once and qualifying for the College Invitational Tournament (CIT).

2005-06: 15-13 (14-6)

Rex Walters (2006-08)

Record: 31-33 in two seasons (.484)

Conference: Sun Belt

Background: Former Kansas basketball star Rex Walters enjoyed moderate success after stepping in with Doherty's departure.

The Owls' winning record in 2007 marked the first time FAU recorded back-to-back winning seasons as a Division I basketball program.

Walters' stay proved fleeting for the Owls, however, as San Francisco University scooped up the young coaching talent to succeed legendary head coach Eddie Sutton in 2008.

2006-07: 16-15 (10-8)

2007-08: 15-18 (8-10)

Mike Jarvis (2008-14)

Record: 76-112 in two seasons (.404)

Conference: Sun Belt, Conference USA

Background: The Owls landed an accomplished coach in Mike Jarvis after Walters' departure: Jarvis previously coached St. John's, where he reached an Elite Eight in 1999, qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice after and won the NIT in 2003. He also coached George Washington and Boston University.

Off-court troubles, including a scandal which saw 40-plus wins and the Red Storm's NIT Championship vacated, ended Jarvis' tenure, opening the door to come to Boca Raton.

Jarvis simply never got it going with the Owls. FAU's 21 wins in 2011 represented the high-water mark of his tenure, where the Owls reached the first round of the NIT. He resigned in 2014 after a third-straight losing season.

2008-09: 6-26 (2-16)

2009-10: 14-16 (10-8)

2010-11: 21-11 (13-3)

2011-12: 11-19 (7-9)

2012-13: 14-18 (9-11)

2013-14: 10-22 (5-11)

Michael Curry (2014-18)

Record: 39-84 in two seasons (.317)

Conference: Conference USA

Background: A former NBA player and head coach of the Detroit Pistons, Curry led the Owls through four largely unremarkable seasons in Conference USA. The Owls never won more than 12 games overall.

FAU hired Brian White as athletic director in March 2018 and he subsequently fired Curry at the end of the 2018 season. He hired May later in March, beginning the Owls' five-year rise to the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

2014-15: 9-20 (2-16)

2015-16: 8-25 (5-13)

2016-17: 10-20 (6-12)

2017-18: 12-19 (6-12)

Dusty May (2018-24)

Record: 129-69 in six seasons (.652)

Conference: Conference USA and American Athletic Conference

Background: White looked to his older brother Mike's coaching staff at the University of Florida for what became arguably the most successful coaching hire in school history.

May took over a program with seven consecutive losing seasons and left it after six straight winning seasons with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and a 2023 run to the Final Four.

2018-19: 17-16 (8-10)

2019-20: 17-15 (8-10)

2020-21: 13-10 (7-5)*

2021-22: 19-15 (11-7)

2022-23: 35-4 (18-2)

2023-24: 25-9 (14-4)

Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: John Jakus, Dusty May: Who were FAU basketball's previous coaches?