Michigan basketball to hire Saint Mary's associate head coach Justin Joyner as assistant
Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Dusty May continues to build out his coaching staff. The latest expected addition is Saint Mary’s associate head coach Justin Joyner, who spent the last eight years in Moraga, Calif., with Randy Bennett and the Gaels. CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein first reported the news.
May has also reportedly hired former Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton Jr. and Georgia’s Akeem Miskdeen as assistant coaches. Former Florida Atlantic assistant Kyle Church is also a potential staffer. The Wolverines can have three assistants who both coach on the floor and recruit off campus. Two others can coach in practice.
Joyner began working as the Gaels’ director of basketball operations in 2017-18, before being promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2018-19 season. He was elevated to associate head coach in the summer of 2022, serving in that role the past two seasons.
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The new Michigan assistant was responsible for recruiting standout point guard Aidan Mahaney — a four-star, top-150 recruit in the 2022 class — and other four-stars.
Joyner played point guard for UC Santa Barbara from 2006-11. According to his Saint Mary’s bio, he “is in the Gauchos record book multiple times as he is eighth all-time with 357 assists. Joyner was also known for his defensive prowess and finished his career second all-time with 134 steals. Joyner started all 32 games for the 2007-08 Gauchos team that won a program high 23 games during the season.” Joyner is a native of Concord, Calif.
Bennett said the following about the new Michigan assistant when he promoted him and fellow assistant Mickey McConnell both as associate head coaches in 2022: “Justin and Mickey have been invaluable to our program during their tenures. They both have incredible basketball knowledge and are well-respected within the locker room. This promotion is a testament to the hard work that they have put into coaching, development, and recruiting over their time at Saint Mary’s.”
May joined former Michigan football All-American Jake Butt on a podcast presented by the Champions Circle Collective this week and discussed how he intends on building the program.
“It’s simply finding the right people and staff and personnel,” the Michigan coach stated. “It always starts with the right people, and the characteristics align with what we’re going to be about.
