Special to the Times Vedette
Jim Flanery
Started in 1971, the Face on the Barroom Floor is one of the most prestigious awards given in Nebraska, as it recognizes newsmakers who have made a difference in the state and the nation. Past recipients include Warren Buffett, President Gerald Ford, Johnny Carson, Bob Gibson, Gale Sayers and Dick Cavett.
Jim is the son of Judy and the late James Flanery. Jim is a 1983 graduate of Guthrie Center High School, where he played basketball, baseball and golf. Flanery and his wife, Emily, have two children, Jackson and Brynn.
The two honorees have excelled in coaching women’s athletics at Creighton University. Flanery has guided the women’s basketball team since 2002, while Booth coached the women’s volleyball squad from 2003-2024.
Flanery is a 1987 graduate of Creighton. From 1985-1987, he was a walk-on member of the men’s basketball team coached by Tony Barone. He also was a member of the Creighton golf team.
“I stumbled into coaching,” said Flanery, who was originally a journalism major before shifting to philosophy. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I didn’t have a coaching agenda.”
After Flanery graduated from Creighton, he was asked to be a graduate assistant coach for the women’s basketball team. He held this post for three years before moving to Loras College in Dubuque in 1990 to become an assistant coach under Connie Yori, a legendary women’s basketball player at Creighton.
In 1992, Rasmussen stepped down as the women’s head coach to become associate athletics director. Yori was brought in as head coach and Flanery returned to Creighton as her top assistant. Over the next 10 years with Yori and Flanery at the helm, the Bluejays notched a 170-115 record and made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2002, Yori left Creighton to become head coach at the University of Nebraska, and Flanery was elevated to the head coach post. In 24 years as head coach, Flanery has become Creighton’s all-time victory leader with a 469-290 record and a .618 winning percentage. He led the Bluejays to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including four consecutive berths from 2022-2025.