Michigan is reportedly hiring Saint Mary’s associate head coach Justin Joyner to fill a key assistant coaching role in Ann Arbor.
Joyner has spent the last seven years as an assistant for Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s, helping to guide the Gaels to one of their most successful runs in program history. Here’s a closer look at his background and what he’ll bring to Ann Arbor on new head coach Dusty May’s staff.
Previously: Akeem Miskdeen, Mike Boynton Jr.
He’s had significant recruiting and evaluation wins
For most of Randy Bennett’s run at Saint Mary’s, the Gaels have been known as an international recruiting powerhouse. Bennett plucked some of his best stars from Australia and New Zealand and used those recruiting wins to coach his program onto the map.
When Joyner was hired, St. Mary’s stateside recruiting began to reach unprecedented levels. Joyner allowed the Gaels to recruit the West Coast in ways that it hadn’t been able to in the past.
He’s extremely close with SMC star Aidan Mahaney — he was even his trainer in middle school — and landed his commitment as one of the program’s biggest wins on the trail. He’s also played a key role in keeping four-star prospects like Mikey Lewis and Zion Sensley — players with legit high-major offers — home in Northern California. These are the sort of players that didn’t go to Saint Mary’s in the past.
Dusty May Promo!
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