2021-2022 Season Preview

The Bobcats are back in the Den for the 2021-2022 season with their first game opener against Trinity College on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, at home (PHSC fitness center) at 7 p.m.  This year's Bobcats plan to build on their successful season last year.  The Bobcats finished 7-13 last season and won the Region 8 DII Men's Basketball Championship in Florida. They advanced to the Region 10 South Atlantic District Tournament in North Carolina where Sandhills Community College defeated the Bobcats in the Final Four.  "We are looking to have the same passion, zeal, and enthusiasm going into this season as we did last season. I hope to see you all there as we embark on the road to success. Go Bobcats!" said Coach Jones.

All students, employees, faculty and community residents are encouraged to show their spirit and support.

PHSC Men's Basketball Program History

The PHSC men's basketball program was started by Bobby Bowman in 1991, who led the basketball program for 20 years. Coach Bowman ended his career with 334 career wins and was inducted into the FCSAA Hall of Fame in 2009.

In 1998, PHSC won its first FCCAA State Tournament and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament in which the team finished in the elite 8. In 2010, the program switched to Division II status and appeared in the 2011 and 2012 regional tournaments for the first time. In the 2015-2016 season, the PHSC men's basketball team finished in the top eight at the Region 10 Tournament. 

Other highlights include:

  • Five State tournament appearances
  • Three Suncoast Conference Championships
  • Two Suncoast Conference Tournament Championships
  • Four-time 'Top 20' NJCAA ranking

The men's basketball program transferred more than 96 players to four-year colleges in conferences such as the SEC, Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, SoCon, MAC, MEAC, PBC, Sunshine State Conference, TSC, ASUN, and the GLVC. Additionally, many PHSC student athletes from the men's basketball program have gone on to play in professional basketball organizations such as the NBA Development League (NBADL) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Basketball Coaching Staff

  • Portrait Coach Micheal Jones

    Dr. Micheal Jones

    Head Coach

    Micheal Jones, Ed.D, DD, RMHC is in his nineth year with a record of 93-136 as head basketball coach at PHSC after previously serving as assistant coach under Bobby Bowman (2010-11) and James Johnson (2011-12). In the 2015-2016 Season, Jones led his team to the Region 10 Tournament where they finished in the top eight. Coach Jones also led his team to win the Region 8 DII Men's Basketball Championship in 2020-2021 which allowed them to compete in the Region 10 Tournament as a final four team.

    Read more about Coach Jones

    Coach Jones began his athletic coaching career at Challenger K8 (Spring Hill, Fla.) where he coached middle school basketball for two years (2005-07) before accepting a position as assistant junior varsity high school basketball coach for Florida State University School in Tallahassee, Fla. (2007-09). He was also a FHSAA Basketball official in 2008-2009.

    Jones then returned to coaching at the middle school level at West Hernando Middle School (Brooksville, Fla.) where he was basketball coach and head football coach (2010-12). He wrapped up his middle school coaching career as the athletic director at Fox Chapel Middle School (2012-13) in Spring Hill, Fla., earning the Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Award for the athletic program's display of exemplary sportsmanship.

    Prior to his coaching positions at PHSC, he played two seasons (1999-2001) under the leadership of Bobby Bowman. He helped lead his team to two Suncoast Conference championships (2000 and 2001) and was named All-Conference (2000-01). Jones appeared in the FCCAA State Tournament (2000-01) and represented PHSC in the 2000 state All-Star game.​

  • Basketball Assistant Coach Larry Behm

    Larry Behm

    Assistant Coach

    Coach Behm is a native of Central New York. Before joining PHSC, Behm was a successful high school coach for 24 years in Syracuse. His teams won 327 games, including numerous league, New York state sectional and regional championships. In 2009 his team advanced to the New York State Final Four.

    Read More About Coach Behm

    At the start of the 2011 spring semester, after serving as an assistant to Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach Bobby Bowman, he was named interim head coach. He held that position until June 2011.

    Coach Behm was assistant to Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach James Johnson for one year and returned for the start of the 2013 season to assist new Head Basketball Coach Mike Jones.

    His duties include recruiting, scouting, practice and game preparation and assisting Coach Jones in the day to day operation of the basketball program.

    Coach Behm has coached a number of players who went on to Division 1 programs. He has worked at several high profile camps and has been a guest speaker at various clinics in the Northeast.

    Coach Behm is member of the New York State Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Basketball Coaches Association of New York and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches

    Coach Behm is a graduate of NMJC and Eastern New Mexico University.

  • Portrait of Coach Nick O'Neill

    Nick O'Neill

    Assistant Coach

    Nick O’Neill was born and raised in California where he played two years of junior college basketball. He transferred to Belmont University in Nashville where he walked on and played one more year and received his B.S. He has been an elementary physical education teacher since 2003.

    Before joining the PHSC coaching staff in 2019, he was the JV and Varsity coach at Genesis Preparatory school in New Port Richey for 10 years. During that time, his teams won four conference championships and had three runner-up finishes. From 2015-2018, he was also the athletic director at the same school. O'Neill also officiated high school basketball for six years in the Tampa Bay Area.