J.B. Tanner begins his fifth year on Matt Matheny's staff at Elon entering the 2018-19 season. Prior to joining the Phoenix staff, Tanner spent three seasons as the director or basketball operations on the men’s basketball staff at UNCG.
During the 2017-18 season, the Phoenix posted a 14-win campaign in the 12th-best conference in the country. Junior forward Tyler Seibring earned All-CAA Second Team honors for the second straight season, as well as spot on the NABC All-District 10 Second Team. Seibring was also rewarded with his work in the classroom with a second-straight Academic All-America selection, as well as the CAA's Dean Ehlers Leadership Award, which is presented annually to the men's basketball student-athlete who "embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic athletic achievement." Additionally, Brian Dawkins was named to the 2018 NABC Give Back Team for his outstanding community service efforts throughout his career as a Phoenix. The program had three players reach 1,000 career points, as Seibring, Dmitri Thompson and Dainan Swoope all achieved the mark in 2017-18. Elon finished the season with eight or more wins in non-conference play for the fourth consecutive season, which included the program’s first win over an American Athletic Conference opponent in South Florida, a victory over defending 2017 CIT Champion Saint Peter’s, and a win over 2018 Big South Champion Radford. Elon was also ranked as high as 22nd in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll and was ranked in the poll for three weeks. The Phoenix showed a lot of balance offensively as four of its five starters averaged double-figures in the scoring column. Defensively, the maroon and gold ranked first in the league allowing CAA opponents to only shoot 44.8 percent from the field. Additionally, senior Dmitri Thompson reached the final four of the Dark Horse Dunker fan vote contest, missing out on the 2018 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championships by two rounds.
During the 2016-17 campaign, the Phoenix finished fourth in the CAA, which was ranked the 11th-best conference in the nation. Elon got off to hot start and began the season with a 6-1 mark, the best start in 29 years for the program. The Phoenix cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll on Nov. 23, 2016, holding a spot at No. 23 for two straight weeks. Elon finished first in the conference only allowing CAA teams to shoot only 41.7% shooting from the floor. For the season, opponents shot 31.9% from three-point range, which ranked second in the league. Sophomore standout Tyler Seibring became the second player under head coach Matt Matheny to earn Academic All-America honors. Seibring was also named to the All-CAA Second Team and was selected as the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. For the third straight season, the Phoenix shined in the classroom and had a league-high four student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. Elon also picked up big wins during the season, earned a road win against South Florida and won the NIU Thanksgiving Classic, defeating Northern Illinois, UIC and Cal Poly to win the championship.
In its second season in the CAA, which was ranked the ninth-best league in the nation during the 2015-16 campaign, Tanner helped an Elon squad of 18 players with 10 underclassmen to 16 wins and an increase in total league victories. For the second time during Elon’s Division I era, the team finished with a winning road record of 8-7 overall. Only the 2013-14 team finished with a wiining record on the road with a 7-6 mark. Under the coaching staff's guidance, freshman forward Tyler Seibring earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie team, the 11th player in the program’s Division I era and fifth under the head coach to earn the honor. For the second consecutive season, the Phoenix shined in the classroom and had a league-high three student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. The senior class of Tanner Samson, Tony Sabato, Sam Hershberger and Wes Brewer ended their career with 70 wins - the most by a senior class during the school’s Division I era.
In its inaugural season in the CAA in 2014-15, Tanner helped Elon to a 15-win campaign following a season in which the team graduated four seniors with 1,000+ career points. Tanner helped the Phoenix to the quarterfinals of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship after the maroon and gold topped Towson in the first round in overtime. Elon also shined in the classroom, putting a league-high three student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. The senior class of Austin Hamilton, Kevin Blake and Ryan Winters ended their career with 69 wins – the most by a senior class during the school’s Division I era. Elon ended the year winning four of its last five games.
Prior to his time at UNCG, Tanner spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at VCU. In 2011, Tanner helped the Rams to a remarkable run through the NCAA Tournament, which culminated with an appearance at the Final Four in Houston. Overall, the Rams won 55 games during Tanner’s two seasons at VCU.
Before his time at VCU, Tanner was a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team at North Carolina. Tanner played two seasons (2007-09) at UNC and helped the Tar Heels to the 2009 national title in Detroit. Tanner appeared in 39 games in two seasons, winning a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference championships under head coach Roy Williams. Tanner spent his first two years at UNC as a member of the junior varsity squad.
Tanner earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Carolina in 2009 before earning a master’s degree in sport leadership from VCU in 2011. Tanner married the former Kristi Stricker on June 6, 2009.
