The Flyers are 5-3 and have lost a double-overtime game to Penn State, a back-and-forth tussle with Michigan State and a one-point crusher to Illinois-Chicago.
But while the losses tend to stick out more than the successes, Jabir has had plenty of the latter. He just became the program’s all-time leader in wins, notching his 120th triumph against Toledo on Sunday to pass Linda Makowski (1980-86).
Jabir credits his staff and players, but reaching the top took some major perseverance on his part.
The Flyers were 3-25 in his maiden season. They also had losing records in two of the next three years.
How did he stay the course?
“I think after a while, we realized what we were in for,” he said. “The kids on that (first) team never quit. We weren’t trying to win the war, we were trying to win battles. And a lot of the successes didn’t show up on the scoreboard. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the efforts of those first few teams.”
Jabir certainly has the Flyers rolling now. They’ve gone 25-9, 21-14 and 25-8 the last three years, reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament last March.
They’ve also shown promise this season. They’re ranked 40th nationally in the RPI, a key component in picking NCAA at-large teams, and they have plenty of chances to notch quality wins even before the Atlantic 10 season starts.
They’ll play at Louisville, which is coming off an upset of No. 8 Kentucky, and open the Southern Cal tournament with San Diego State, which made the NCAA Sweet 16 last season. They’ll also play at Boston College, which was undefeated going into Wednesday’s game at Holy Cross.
Jabir is focusing on getting his team its next win, not on the 120 that came before it. But his peers at UD understand the significance of reaching that victory milestone.
“What he’s done with this program is remarkable,” said men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory, who arrived at UD the same year as Jabir. “He’s done it the right way — with really talented players and also high-character young ladies, too.
“He’s got a great staff, but it comes from the top. He’s had a couple good teams, but now it’s a program. ... Players may change, and systems and schemes may change a little bit, but the foundation is really, really solid. And that’s because of him.
“It wasn’t easy. And you get knocked down a few times during it. But his consistency has created the consistency within that program.”
Contact this writer at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.