Jay Bilas

Playing career

Bilas was a consensus Top 50 recruit at Rolling Hills High School in Rolling Hills, California, where he averaged 23.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in 1982. That season, Bilas was named First Team All-CIF, First Team All-South Bay, MVP of the Bay League, Best in the West by the Long Beach Press Telegram.

Bilas was a four-year starter for Mike Krzyzewski on the Duke University men’s basketball team from 1982–1986, and helped lead Duke to the Final Four and National Championship game in 1986. Krzyzewski’s 1982 recruiting class of Bilas, Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie and David Henderson still ranks as the highest scoring single class in college basketball history. In his college career, Bilas scored 1,062 points and grabbed 692 rebounds while shooting over 55% from the field.

Bilas graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science, and was selected in the fifth round of the 1986 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He played professionally overseas in Italy and in Spain. In 1985, Bilas represented USA Basketball on the U.S. National Select Team in the Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan.

Coaching career

Bilas served as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke for three seasons from 1990 to 1992. While serving as an assistant coach, Bilas attended Duke University School of Law, receiving his J.D. degree in 1992. During his three-year tenure as an assistant coach, Duke advanced to three Final Fours and won two National Championships. Bilas still teaches and speaks at clinics, and has been an instructor at the Nike Skills Academy in Beaverton, Oregon, the Nike/Amar'e Stoudemire Skills Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Nike/LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio, which annually tutor some of the nation’s finest high school and college players. In 2005 and 2006, Bilas was one of 12 coaches taking part in Operation Hardwood I and II that coached United States Service teams in tournament competition in the Middle East. Among the other coaches of Operation Hardwood I and II were Mark Gottfried, Tom Izzo, Kelvin Sampson, Tubby Smith, Rick Barnes, Gary Williams, Dave Odom, Bobby Lutz, Bobby Cremins, Mike Jarvis, Billy Lange, Jim Crews, and Reggie Minton.

Broadcasting career

Bilas has been a color commentator and studio analyst for ESPN since 1995. Bilas began his broadcast career as a color commentator alongside play-by-play man Bob Harris for the Duke Radio Network in 1993. Bilas joined ESPN in 1995 as a college basketball analyst on games and in the studio. He has served as co-host of ESPN’s studio broadcasts since 2000, including College GameNight and College GameDay with Rece Davis, Hubert Davis, Digger Phelps, and Bob Knight. Bilas makes frequent appearances on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and ESPN Radio, and is a featured basketball writer on ESPN.com. He is also featured as "The Bilastrator" during halftime segments of some ESPN college basketball games. From 2003 through 2010, Bilas joined CBS as a game analyst for the network’s coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and was paired with Dick Enberg as his color analyst from 2005 through 2010. In both 2007 and 2008, Bilas was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by a Studio Analyst. He has gained notoriety in the studio for his ability to draw up unique inbound plays after time outs during close games, as well as his stand when it comes regarding student athlete payment and his thoughts on the NCAA as a whole.

Legal career

Bilas received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1992. He is currently Of Counsel to the Charlotte office of Moore & Van Allen, where he maintains a litigation practice.

Bilas most notably worked on the case Lyons Partnership v. Morris Costumes, Inc., where he successfully defended the costume business against trademark and copyright claims brought by owners of the popular children's television character Barney the Dinosaur.

Comments on Duke lacrosse scandal

Writing a letter to the editor In Duke Magazine, Bilas sharply criticized the Duke administration for its lack of support for the falsely indicted players during the 2006 Duke lacrosse case. Describing Richard H. Brodhead's actions, "President Brodhead chose the path of political expediency. He failed to effectively counter factually inaccurate and inappropriate statements about Duke and its students, failed to forcefully speak out against procedural irregularities, and failed to take appropriate action in response to repeated attacks upon the due process rights of Duke's students." He then goes on to call for Brodhead's resignation, as well as that of Board of Trustees Chairman, Robert K. Steel, "and any board members that acted in lock step with Brodhead."

Personal life

Bilas resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife of 21 years, Wendy, and their son and daughter. Bilas is on the Advisory Board of the Duke Brain Tumor Center and the PinStripes/ALS Foundation, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of Coaches vs. Cancer.

A member of SAG-AFTRA and one of its two predecessors, the Screen Actors Guild, since 1987, Bilas has appeared in national television commercials and the feature-length movie I Come in Peace (also known as Dark Angel) starring Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben. Bilas also appeared in an episode of the TV series The White Shadow. He is also the author of a book, Toughness.