Chet Jacobs became the first coach to lead his side through an entire season in the Cool and Smooth ABBA Business Basketball League undefeated claiming both the league and playoff titles.

Chet Jacobs, Head Coach of the Board of Education basketball team, has achieved what no other coach has accomplished in the history of the Cool and Smooth ABBA Business Basketball League – leading his squad to an undefeated season while claiming both the league and playoff championships.

The Board of Education secured the historic title last Saturday at the JSC Sports Complex, capping off a remarkable campaign that saw them dominate the competition from start to finish.

Speaking in a post-championship interview, a hoarse-voiced Jacobs revealed the exact moment he knew his team was destined for greatness. It wasn’t during the finals or even against one of the top contenders – it was in a mid-season test against Antigua Power Company, a team that barely missed the playoffs by a few points.

“When I realized that the unity within the team is somewhat unbreakable, I mean, when we have had a level of adversity late in the season and we were able to rally them, I said, ‘This is ours, man, this is ours,’” Jacobs explained.

The turning point came approximately 10 or 11 games into the season during a matchup against APC. After a brief layoff, Board of Education found themselves being matched “pound for pound” by an aggressive APC squad hungry for an upset.

“They were aggressive, they were beating us at our own game,” Jacobs recalled. “We had a little talk at halftime and a timeout, and I said to these guys, ‘You know, they’re matching us pound for pound, but we got to go back to the basics; we got to go back to our defence first. Get scores, then get back to the basics.’ And the rally came after that…”

That moment of adversity against a team that “wanted it more” proved to be the catalyst. While Sandals and Richie Shooters provided the closest games during the regular season, it was the APC challenge that solidified Jacobs’ belief in his team’s championship credentials.

“That game was when I knew my team was ready,” he stated confidently.

While basking in the glory of an undefeated championship season, Jacobs is already thinking about the challenge ahead – defending the title.

“Defending it is going to be harder than winning it,” he acknowledged without hesitation. “All the time.”

The coach revealed he’s already started planning for next season, though he emphasized that changes won’t be drastic. “I’m not going to be happy about something where we don’t need much. There’s always room for improvement, but paramount in any addition that we’ll be having is discipline – a certain level of discipline, a certain level of commitment that a person would bring to the team.”

The priority is maintaining team chemistry. “We don’t want to basically upset the apple cart, for want of a better word. The hope is to try to keep the unit together as much as possible, even through simple events, so that the guys stay connected to each other. And any addition to that must be the right fit.”

Jacobs was quick to credit the veteran leadership that made his coaching job easier. Senior players Xavier Meade and Adonis Humphreys were instrumental in keeping the team focused and helping develop younger talent.

“In terms of coaching them guys, it was a pleasure,” Jacobs said. “And we have some really, really young guys coming, really young guys on the team also that we want to mold. I really appreciate the assistance of Xavier and Adonis Humphreys.”

He also gave special recognition to Noel Ryan, the oldest team member who provided both rest for Adonis and invaluable encouragement to the younger players. “He is always there to give Adonis a little rest and also there to give encouragement to the younger guys on the team.”

When asked about his greatest hurdle as a coach, Jacobs didn’t hesitate: “Time. Time is a very precious thing for me. Wearing quite a number of hats is the thing.”

Juggling multiple responsibilities while leading a championship team required careful time management and relying on his experienced players to help shoulder the load. “But I must say with the experience of senior players like Xavier Meade and Adonis, those guys really pitched in and helped along the way.”