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Following up on a rumor that HoopDirt.com posted back on September 4th (New Orleans Dirt)…It has now been made official that Jody Bailey has been named as an assistant coach at the University of New Orleans.
Bailey arrives in New Orleans after five seasons at Jacksonville College where he served as both head men’s basketball coach and assistant athletics director.
“Jody Bailey brings an incredible wealth of experience, knowledge, passion, and energy to our program,” said head coach Mark Slessinger. “He has coached at every level, from high school to NBA scout, and has had success at all levels. Jody will add a great network to our recruiting base as we move forwards towards a championship.
“Our program is extremely excited to welcome Jody, his wife Joy and two sons J. Lawrence and Jaxon to our beautiful city, university and program. I have been able to watch Jody have incredible success as a head coach at Jacksonville College and prior to that at Colorado and Air Force. He will be tremendous for our student-athletes on and off the floor.”
Bailey has enjoyed tremendous success while at the helm of Jacksonville College, bringing his team to a 19-12 overall record and a conference tournament quarterfinal appearance in the 2014-15 season.
In the 2012-13 season, the squad clinched their third straight 20-win season under the watch of Bailey, the first time the school accomplished that mark in 15 years. Bailey brought his team to numerous Texas Eastern Conference Final Four appearances during his tenure, finding success in one of the most competitive junior college conferences in the country.
Before his arrival to Jacksonville College, Bailey spent three seasons helping to rebuild the program at the University of Colorado as the Director of Operations from 2007-2010 assisting head coach Jeff Bzdelik. From year two to three at CU, the Buffaloes jumped up four spots in the Big 12 standings and finished the 2009-2010 season with a 15-16 record, the program’s best mark in four years.
Bailey also had the privilege to work daily with then-freshman guard Alec Burks, who earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2010 and was selected as the No. 12 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Bailey also was instrumental in developing the Colorado program off the court. He helped raise the team’s grade point average to 2.94, and a school-record three Buffaloes were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team in 2009-2010. As a result, head coach Jeff Bzdelik was hired as the head coach at Wake Forest.
Bailey also served under Jeff Bzdelik at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado from 2006-07 as the Video Coordinator. In ’06-07, Air Force posted a school-record 26 wins, a 16-1 record at Clune Arena, a top-25 national ranking and a berth in the NIT Final Four.
Air Force set school records for field goal percentage (.490) and three-point field goals (316) and finished second in the country in both scoring defense (56.0 ppg) and in fewest turnovers per game (10.3). The Falcons also posted nine wins of 30 points or greater to lead the country in that category in 2006-07. Along the way, Air Force crafted double-digit victories over Colorado, George Washington, Stanford, Texas Tech and Wake Forest.
Prior to the Air Force Academy, Bailey served two years as an NBA Regional Scout for Marty and Ryan Blake, the Directors of NBA Scouting from 2004-06.
“UNO has hit a home run in the hiring of Jody Bailey,” said Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. “As a man of great integrity, knowledge and passion; Jody was very instrumental in our success at Air Force and with building a winning culture at the University of Colorado. His positive influence will be felt both on the court and within the UNO community.”
From 2002-2004, Bailey was the Head Basketball Coach at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, a college preparatory school in McDonough, Georgia.
During his stay at Eagle’s Landing, he produced back to back winning seasons and led the Chargers to the Georgia GISA Sweet 16 Tournament in 2002-03 for the first time in 15 seasons. Prior to his head coaching in McDonough, Bailey was an Assistant Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Tennessee Temple University from 1999-2002 in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he assisted head coach Kevin Templeton to a 63-37 record.
Bailey also spent one year (1998-99) as an Assistant Coach for Ray Harper at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky where he helped the Panthers to 35-2 record and the NCAA Division II National Championship. In 1997-98, Bailey rejoined his father, Joe, as an Assistant Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Beth Haven Christian School in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1996-97 as a first ever college assistant coach, Bailey aided Indiana University-Southeast in New Albany, Indiana and Head Coach, Jim Morris to their first-ever NAIA National Tournament appearance.
His coaching career began in 1995-96 at Calvary Christian Academy in Montgomery, Alabama when he became the youngest Head Coach (age 24) in Alabama High School history to take a team to the Alabama AISA State Championship game. Bailey also served as the school’s Assistant Athletic Director.
Bailey, 43, is a 1995 graduate of the University of Louisville, where he received a bachelor’s degree in physical education, then earned a master’s degree in physical education and sports administration from Louisville in 1997.
From 1992-95, he began as the basketball manager for the Cardinals and learned as much as possible while under Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum. Louisville played in the NCAA Basketball Tournament three consecutive seasons, including twice advancing to the Sweet Sixteen Regional Semifinals during his time with the Cardinals. Bailey also was a part of winning the Metro Conference Championship three consecutive seasons.
Born Nov. 20, 1971 in Louisville, Ky., Bailey graduated from Beth Haven Christian School in 1990 where he was coached by his father, Joe Bailey. While under his father’s tutelage, Bailey became the school’s all-time assists leader with 903 ranking fourth all-time in Kentucky High School History. Bailey also played college basketball at the NAIA level at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from 1990-1991 for Tim Collins and at Clearwater Christian College in Clearwater, Florida, from 1991-1992 for Del Wubbena.
http://www.unoprivateers.com/news/2015/9/23/MBB_0923150508.aspx
Photo Courtesy UNO Athletics
