Oregon State hires U-M assistant Justin Joyner as new head coach

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Oregon State is hiring Michigan assistant coach Justin Joyner as its new head coach, per reports.

Joyner spent the last two years at Michigan and was a pivotal early, outside-the-box hire by Dusty May. He previously served as an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s under Randy Bennett from 2017 through 24.

Joyner taking the job will bring him much closer to his family because his wife, Tracy Joyner, is the head women’s soccer coach at Oregon.

Joyner focused on recruiting the West Coast at Michigan and co-led the defense with Mike Boynton Jr. The Wolverines finished the regular season ranked 2nd nationally in defense according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency numbers.

“I can go on for the next three or four hours just talking about those guys,” May said when asked about his coaching staff. “Just like our players, that’s our staff’s superpower, to see how well they work together. They’re all probably underpaid market value for what they bring, and they’ve all outperformed their contracts as well. They’re very deserving of the success we’re having and whatever’s next for them is well earned.”

On Monday, May discussed the challenge of juggling the coaching carousel with Michigan’s postseason. Joyner plans to stay on with Michigan throughout the NCAA Tournament before heading to Oregon State.

“Each one’s different. If they’re dying to be a head coach, then we’re going to support them and really work to help them without getting in the way of what’s most important,” May said. “It’s been done in every professional sports league; it’s done in college basketball. It’s not as if our guys, if they get a job, have to make the decision to leave right away because they’ve moved the portal date (to April 7th).

“If the portal is open, then they probably would have to go get started on their next job, because if you lose in year one, it gets more difficult in year two. “