At a press conference on Tuesday, May 26, Chris Tifft was introduced as the new Head Men's Basketball Coach at New Mexico Junior College. Tifft replaces Jimmy Voight, who recently resigned to accept the associate coaching position at University of Louisiana-Monroe. Tifft was approved by the NMJC Board on May 19.

Coming to NMJC as the former Head Men's Basketball Coach at Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colorado, Tifft brings with him an impressive record. During his five years at Lamar, Tifft led the LCC men's team to a level of success that had not been seen in four decades. Coaching the team to three consecutive 20-win seasons and amassing a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, Tifft led LCC to their first-ever Region IX Championship this past season and qualified for their first trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. Under Tifft, the team concluded the tournament with a 3-1 record and placed 5th in the nation. Tifft was also named the District IX Men's Division I Basketball Coach of the Year.

Along with his team's successes on the court, Tifft also established high expectations in the classroom. For the 2007/2008 season, Tifft's team finished the academic year with a 3.04 cumulative GPA, and for the Fall 2008 semester, his team carried a 3.12 GPA.

A community college graduate himself, Tifft holds an associate's degree from Three Rivers Community College, Poplar Bluff, Missouri; a bachelor's degree (with a major in Geography) from the University of Nevada-Reno; and a master's degree (with a major in Educational Leadership) from the University of Nevada-Reno.

Prior to his serving as Head Coach at Lamar, Tifft was the Assistant Basketball Coach at both Dodge City (Kansas) Community College (2001-2004) and the University of Nevada-Reno (1996-2001).

He admits he was drawn to NMJC for several reasons. "New Mexico Junior College and the city of Hobbs both have great basketball tradition," he said. "NMJC is a college that is growing and looking to the future, and I feel that the resources are in place to take great care of our student-athletes. Also, the community of Hobbs is growing, and that leads to numerous opportunities for our program and for my family. The first time I stepped onto the campus at NMJC, I immediately knew there was potential here to build a great basketball program. Not just for one or two years, but for a sustained amount of time. That's what I look forward to doing here: building a program, not just recruiting great players and just having a good season. We are going to work hard to develop a program from the inside out that kids can take pride in, the school will be proud of and the community will attach itself to."

Last season, the T-Birds enjoyed their most successful season in a number of years as they went 21-9 overall and 9-7 in WJCAA play. Finishing fifth in the conference, NMJC was one game out of the fourth and qualifying spot for the Region V Tournament.