Preston Spradlin, former John Calipari staffer, named new James Madison head coach
James Madison had to work quickly to replace Mark Byington following his departure to Vanderbilt at the end of their season. Now, the Dukes have done that with another coach with ties to the Southeastern Conference, specifically one who worked alongside John Calipari at Kentucky.
James Madison will be hiring Preston Spradlin, the head coach of Morehead State, to fill the same seat in Harrisonburg. This comes after he’d spent the past eight years with the Eagles following his five years in Lexington with the Wildcats where he was a graduate assistant and then their assistant director of operations.
Both James Madison and Morehead State have since announced Spradlin’s hiring and resignation in separate releases.
“Preston stood out at the top of our list as we researched candidates based upon the resume that he’s built at a very young age as a head coach,” JMU AD Jeff Bourne wrote. “Once we met with him, it was even more evident that he’s the total package in a head coach. The results speak for themselves, but beyond the results we found a genuine and authentic coach and teacher who cares about his student-athletes, about his institution and the community. Given our recent success at James Madison, our facility, our resources and the enthusiasm of our fanbase, we believe Preston is the right coach to build something truly special in Harrisonburg.”
Spradlin has posted a 140-109 (.562) record over his time in Morehead. However, after taking over an interim in ’16-’17 and then having three straight losing finishes, the Eagles went 94-40 (.705) over his last four years. That led to him becoming OVC Coach of the Year twice, four titles in the Ohio Valley, and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Morehead State lost by 17 to West Virginia in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in his first berth. Now, in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, they fell 85-69 to Illinois, a team that’s now in the Elite Eight, in the opening round after a competitive first half.
Spradlin’s name gained traction on the carousel toward the end of this season with this recent. He’s now the Dukes’ choice, though, as the next head coach of their program.
“My family and I are extremely excited for the opportunity to lead the JMU program and take over during a monumental time for the University!” Spradlin said in the release. “Throughout this process it was of the upmost importance that we not only found a great basketball program but also a caring community that we can embrace and continue to raise our family. We are looking forward to connecting with the many supporters of JMU Athletics and partnering together to compete for future championships! Go Dukes!”