Chris Jennings ’78 is a proud Jesuit alumnus whose legacy spans more than four decades as both a player and a coach. As a student, Jennings played basketball under legendary coaches Kevin Trower, Duane Reboul, Jerry Hernandez, and Jimmy Tillette. Affectionately known as “Jump Shot Jennings,” he was a four-year member of the varsity basketball team, lettering three of those years. He remains the school’s all-time leading scorer with an impressive 2,011 career points. During his high school career, Jennings earned All-District and All-Metro honors twice and was named All-State as a senior. A 1982 graduate of Nicholls State University, Jennings was a three-year starter for the Colonels and was inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

This year marks his 33rd season as Jesuit’s head basketball coach and his 41st year in the classroom. Throughout his distinguished career, Jennings has guided the Blue Jays to 737 victories, including a 2001 state championship and district titles in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. His achievements have earned him recognition as the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl Louisiana Prep Coach of the Year and inclusion in the Clarion Herald’s Top 50 Basketball Selections as both a player and a coach.

In addition to leading Jesuit’s basketball program, Jennings teaches Sociology and Health & Physical Education. He is married to Meg Jennings, who is beginning her 29th year teaching Art at Jesuit. Their son, Christopher, is a sophomore at Jesuit who plays both JV and Varsity basketball for his father.

English teacher Daniel Fitzpatrick ’09 interviewed Coach Jennings to reflect on his tenure at Jesuit High School.

Daniel Fitzpatrick: As a graduate of the class of ‘78, a teacher, a coach, and a parent, you’ve dedicated an extraordinary amount of your time, talent, and energy to Jesuit. What motivates you to keep coming back?

Christopher Jennings: I always say it’s the kids. They’re high quality. They’re fun. They work hard. And it’s the values of Jesuit High School as well.

Fitzpatrick: This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Do any Jesuit-related memories from that year particularly stand out to you?

Jennings: That Fall, I practiced during the week with the 8th graders in the 3rd floor gym on a cement floor. On the weekends, I would go to Houston, where the varsity basketball players worked with Hunter Higgins during the week at Strake.

I was amazed at how quickly we were able to come back to Banks Street. That’s due to Fr. McGinn, of course.

“We expect the best of our students, not just in the classroom, not just on the court or on the field, but all the time.”

Christopher Jennings

Fitzpatrick:
I remember that once we came back to Banks Street, you had lunch duty on Will Clark Field. Some of my friends and I would play football out there, and sometimes you would join us. You’ve got a knack for meeting students at their level, but you also have a reputation as a coach for getting incredible results out of your players. How do you pull that off?

Jennings:
Meeting these kids where they are and getting them to where I want them to be is close to the same thing. They all want to be the best, and they know that’s what I want for them. Our practices are very intense, and when practice is over, it’s over. They know that I leave anything that happens on the court out there on the court. But we want the same thing. We have a common goal, and that’s for them to be the best they can be.

Fitzpatrick: How does Jesuit today compare to what it was like when you were a student?

Jennings: Well, in some ways it’s very similar, and in others it’s not so similar. The biggest upgrade is in the facilities. We have air conditioning now. We have a film room for the basketball players. We’ve got a nice office. 

The kids are the same. They’re teenagers. And other than the phones, they’ve stayed the same as teenagers always have. They care about the same kinds of things. I always tell my son to take a look in the 76 yearbook, see how long my hair was then. He cares about his hair now just like I did when I was that age. And so the kids have stayed the same, and they need to be pushed, because they will get away with whatever they can get away with. But at the same time, they want to be the best they can be.

Fitzpatrick: You coached Dr. Reuther before he was Dr. Reuther. What’s it like to see a player come back not just to teach but eventually to become principal?

Jennings: Awesome. It’s awesome to see his growth from the teenager he was then to the man he is now. And not only him, but I see the same thing with Jonathan Hernandez, who’s also grown up to be a leader at this school. It’s been great to have guys that I coached come back and coach for me, whether it’s Hernandez or Cameron Eckholdt or Hunter Higgins. And now PJ Varisco, who graduated two years ago, is helping us out, too. 

Fitzpatrick: What legacy do you hope to leave behind at Jesuit? consider to be your legacy at Jesuit?

Jennings: Like I tell the players, it’s all about chopping wood and carrying water. We come to work every day, and it’s the little things that matter in the long run. So I’ve got those two sayings, the one from Van Morrison, “choppin’ wood,” and then also “It’s the fool who plays it cool,” and that’s “Hey Jude.” We show up to work every day.

Fitzpatrick: How’s the team looking this year?

Jennings: I like it. We went from being a big team to not being a big team at all. So guys are flying around the court. We’ll be shooting lots of 3s. It’s fun. I’m excited about it.

Fitzpatrick: I think you’ve got a big win milestone coming up, right?

Jennings: I don’t know what that means.

Fitzpatrick: You’re closing in on 750 wins, right?

Jennings: That’s right. We ought to hit it this year. But you know, every game is another game. When I got to 500, a few years ago now, they said, “Alright, now let’s go get 501.” So that’s what it’s about, showing up every day, playing every game, trying to get one more win. 

There aren’t many people who get to stay in a job like this for as long as I have. And I like to think that it’s not just what we’re doing on the court as far as wins that’s kept me here so long, but that I’m fostering the values that the school thinks are important.

Fitzpatrick: Anything you’d like to add?

Jennings: Just that Jesuit’s a great place to work. And that has a lot to do with how we expect the best of our students, not just in the classroom, not just on the court or on the field, but all the time. And that’s become even more apparent to me now that I see my son doing it.