Mar 18, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers guard Paul Jesperson (4) celebrates with teammates after making the game winning shot to defeat the Texas Longhorns during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Northern Iowa Panthers beat the Texas Longhorns 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Suns’ New G League Coach Owns One of Most Memorable Shots in March Madness

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI | By Brendan Mau | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 2:02 PM ET

The name of the newest coach of the Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns' G League affiliate, might have a familiar ring to it.

On Monday, the Valley Suns announced that Paul Jesperson will be their new head coach after former coach John Little joined Phoenix's staff as an assistant.

Back in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, Jesperson drained one of the most iconic shots in March Madness history for Northern Iowa.

After No. 6-seeded Texas tied the game at 72 with 2.7 seconds left, Northern Iowa inbounded the ball to Jesperson, who took one dribble past two defenders and banked home a shot just beyond half court at the buzzer to lead the No. 11 Panthers to the upset.

New Suns G League Coach is March Madness Legend

The new Suns G League Head Coach…

March Madness legend, Paul Jesperson.pic.twitter.com/cIpQUjtDfU
— Ryan Hammer (@ryanhammer09) August 18, 2025

Northern Iowa would go on to have another memorable game against the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies in the second round, but ended up losing 92-88 in double overtime.

This was Jesperson's final season of collegiate basketball, and he would next play basketball in the G League and overseas in Spain and Argentina before joining the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant video coordinator for the 2020-21 season.

He was then promoted to a player development coach for Atlanta for two seasons (2021-23) before working one season as the director of player development/assistant coach for the University of Oklahoma’s men's basketball team.

Last season, Jesperson joined Little's staff as an assistant, leading to his promotion to head coach this week.

The Valley Suns are entering their second season after finishing their inaugural year with a 20-14 regular season record the included a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors in the first round of the 2025 NBA G League Playoffs.

Jesperson will look to continue this success now at the helm of the team.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Suns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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