Episode 45: Coach Jacob Travis: Head Boys Basketball Coach Model High School, Rome Georgia

  Travis just finished his 7th season as coach of his alma mater, Model High School in Rome, Georgia.  As an all-region and all state player at Model High School, Jacob helped his high school team to a region championship as a player and two state tournament appearances. He continued his playing career at Reinhardt College, becoming one of the first two players to play four years of basketball at the school as it transitioned from NJCAA to NAIA. Coach Travis graduated Reinhardt with honors in 2002 and chose to pursue the profession of teaching and coaching that fall at Buford High School where he coached softball and basketball. He earned 2007 teacher of the year of Buford Middle School and 2007 teacher of the year for Buford City Schools. As an assistant, he helped the Buford basketball team to two final fours, two elite eights, and a sweet sixteen, along with three region championships.  In 2007-2008, Coach Travis became the head coach at Adairsville High School in Adairsville, Georgia, leading the team to a state tournament appearance in that same year. After five seasons there, he returned to his alma mater, Model High School, in Rome, Georgia. At Model, Coach Travis has led the team to 5 state tournaments in 7 seasons, winning the first five state tournament games in state history, coaching two region championship teams, two runner up teams, two elite 8 seasons, a sweet sixteen season. The Blue Devils have twice set the record for number of wins in Model High School history, both times at 23 wins, breaking the win total previously set in 1998 by Coach Travis's father, Milt Travis.  Coach Travis is most passionate about the moral development of his teams. The Model High School team has a motto started in the 1990s: Play like Poor Hungry Dogs (PHD). And in recent years, the team has adopted the mission statement of "Inspire our Community and Build Better Men through Basketball." This mission statement guides the program through community relations, to academics, and most importantly to fundraising.  Jacob and his wife, Kristin, live in Rome, Georgia with their two children: Noah, 12 and Kate, 8.  Twitter:@jacob_travis e-mail: [email protected]