Azain to Join SB Court of Champions
Jeff Azain, Westmont men’s basketball assistant coach, will be inducted into the Santa Barbara Basketball Court of Champions along with 11 others Sunday, June 5, at 6 p.m. at the Cabrillo Arts Pavillion, 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd. Tickets, which cost $60 for general admission, $30 for kids under 12 and $75 at the door, may be purchased at www.santabarbarabasketball.com. Jamaal Wilkes, NBA Hall of Famer, will also be in attendance, signing his new book, “Memoirs of the Original Smooth as Silk.”
Azain, celebrating 25 years as assistant coach at Westmont, has contributed to the Warriors having only one losing season, and 14 seasons with over 20 wins. Azain transferred from Cal State Northridge to Westmont in 1983, playing on two Warrior teams that advanced to the NAIA national tournament, including the Final Four team of 1984. He set Westmont’s all-time record for season field goal percentage in the 1984-85 season, shooting .676 from the field. He was a captain on the 1985-86 squad, and was named the recipient of the Tom Byron Most Inspirational Player Award.
“Jeff is a Warrior tried and true. The stability he brings to our program has been key to our success,” says John Moore, Westmont head men’s basketball coach and Court of Champions emcee. “I don’t think there are a lot of programs where if the head coach had to step away, there wouldn’t be a drop-off at all. And I think that in our case that would certainly be the circumstance. I have an incredible amount of faith in Jeff and the players have great confidence in him.”
He is a member of local high school San Marcos’ Athletic Hall of Fame, where he earned All-CIF honors and played on a team that advanced to the 1981 CIF Final game. In May of 2009, Azain was inducted into the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame.
Besides his coaching duties, Azain serves as the Associate Director of Warrior Sports Associates, coordinating fundraising activities. He is also a vital link between the athletic department and its corporate sponsors.