Jeremy Shulman becomes program wins leader with 346 wins

When Jeremy Shulman became Eastern Florida State College's head basketball coach 14 years ago, he never imagined racking up 346 wins.

But that is exactly where the Nashville, Tennessee native stands, now the winningest coach in program history after his team's 27-5 record this season. Shulman passed the late Hall of Fame coach, Jim Oler, who coached Brevard Community College to 328 wins over 16 season and has held the record for decades.

"It is humbling. That is the best word I can use," Shulman said. "Coach Oler was an unbelievable coach and a legendary coach, to pass him is humbling. It is very surreal.

"I never would have believed it when Coach (Associate Vice President of Athletics Jeff) Carr first took a chance on my 14 years ago when we met for the interview. To be able to sit here with 346 wins means I have had a lot of the right people in the building. A lot of great players, great coaches. It is amazing when you think back, year after year after year new guys coming in and it is just a testament to all those guys who have gotten it done over the years."

Shulman finishes the season 346-107, averaging 24.7 wins per season over his 14 seasons with the Titans and that includes an 18-win shortened season during Covid. He has led his program to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament five times and finished second in 2016-17 and third in 2017-18.

"I give the credit to our culture, our family and our belief in the attention to detail, doing things the right way," he said. "We truly are a process-oriented team and we care about the process over the result; we try to let go of the results when we are in our daily process.

"I think that the process of doing things the right way, having a family atmosphere, a great culture and recruiting the right guys that are going to make the college proud is key to sustainability. It is one thing to work to get to the top, to be able to sustain it, you have to have a great culture and belief system."

Shulman took over a program that had won seven games and had not been to the postseason in 11 straight seasons. And in his first season with the Titans, he won 18 games and qualified for the FCSAA state tournament by winning the Southern Conference Tournament championship. 

He would win the first of his 11 conference champions in 2012-13, winning four different conference titles including the Citrus Conference title this season. Shulman won the Southern Conference five times, the Mid-Florida Conference title three times, the Central Conference twice and now the Citrus Conference.

"It has been challenging, so many great teams and great coaches and players, to get put into different conferences and figure it out, it has not been easy," Shulman said.

"We have come a long ways, the first thing I have to do is give an amazing thanks to coach Carr and Dr. (James) Richey (Eastern Florida State College President). Our entire school, athletic facilities, everything is completely different than when I got here. We wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be where I am without those two. Having an alignment with the administration is as important as anything these days."

Last season, Shulman was inducted into the FCSAA Men's Basketball Hall of Fame, and while he hopes he has a lot more great seasons and wins ahead of him, he has been able to step back and recognize his accomplishments.

"It really has been special but what makes it even more special is sharing it with my family, I have three little ones now and to have baby Giannis, to have Jordan and to have Mila in addition to my wife Evi, being a part of this is special, I am not just doing it alone," Shulman said. "To have my family at games and at the Hall of Fame induction, to have them with me this year to watch one of the best teams in school history, to have my kids see me coach ­-- that to me is just extra special."

While he has accomplished so much at Eastern Florida State College, he is hoping this is still just the first chapter in his coaching career.

"I am trying to just be where my feet are, but I know that I am going to stay hungry, still think of myself as a young coach, I am just loving my current team even though we have had a tough few days (lost in semifinals at state tournament)," Shulman said. "Hopefully I have a lot more wins left in me and be able to accomplish some things I never thought possible."