After 52 years of coaching— with six state championships, 14 sectional championships, 34 league championships, over 1,100 career wins, and dozens of awards and honors received—Coach Jeff Jasper continues to be honored for his commitment to high school basketball.

Jasper was named as the girls recipient of the 2025 Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. For the boys, Billy Hicks—Head Coach at Scott County High School in Georgetown, Kentucky—received the award.

This award is named after Morgan Wootten, who coached for 46 years at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland.

John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame, spoke about Jasper and Hicks:

“Their dedication and excellence in coaching exemplify Morgan Wootten’s enduring legacy in the sport,” Doleva said. “Beyond their remarkable success on the court, their unwavering commitment has profoundly shaped the lives of their student-athletes. Their influence extends far beyond basketball, inspiring future generations and leaving a lasting impact on their teams and communities.”

Jasper found out that he was the recipient of this award on Monday. 

Principal John Puccio asked if Jasper and history teacher Ken Sarajian could come down to his office to talk about their experience with the Finland kids from last year. When they got down to the office, they were on a Zoom call, but Jasper soon realized the man on the screen was not talking about anything relevant to Finland; rather, he spoke about Jasper and the award.

Jasper spoke about how it feels to receive this honor and to be recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Being recognized at the highest level, it is just the pinnacle of honors,” Coach Jasper said. “I can’t even tell you what the experience was like to hear that I was being inducted. It was overwhelming,” he added.

In 2024, Coach Jasper received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association.

Both of these awards show the commitment and love that Coach Jasper has always had for the game of basketball.

When asked if he ever imagined his career would include these accolades, Jasper expressed his sentiments.

“I never plan anything. I just go with the flow and [am] always living the dream,” Jasper said. “It’s so humbling, but that’s not the right word: the word is surreal. It is surreal to be honored for this award in my career.”

Jasper has been an integral part of girls basketball at the high school level, and he has cemented his legacy as one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in history.

Jasper will be honored for this achievement on Tuesday, April 1st, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, before the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game’s honors begin.