Sam Houston State has promoted Justin Bailey to the role of Associate Head Coach:
Bailey has been on the Sam Houston men’s basketball staff since the summer of 2021. More on Bailey from SHSU’s website:
Bailey helped the Bearkats to a 19-win season in his first stint on staff and helped develop first-team All-WAC selection Savion Flagg. In Bailey’s second season, the Bearkats had a program-tying record of 26 wins en route to earning the No. 1 seed in the 2023 WAC Tournament including a win in the first round of the 2023 NIT, 2023 WAC Player of the Year Qua Grant and three other all-conference players.
Before Sam Houston, Bailey spent two seasons an assistant coach for Pittsburg State and was promoted to associate head coach during the 2020-21 campaign.
Bailey was the head coach at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith during the 2018-19 season before joining Pittsburg State. He had previously served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Lamar for two seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18, helping the Cardinals to consecutive 19-win seasons and back-to-back appearances in the College Basketball Invitational (CIT).
Bailey also served as an assistant coach at UAFS for four seasons from 2012-16. He helped guide the Lions to a pair of NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances and two Heartland Conference Championships.
Prior to joining the UAFS staff, Bailey spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Arizona State University under Herb Sendek.
Bailey, a Fort Smith, Arkansas, native played two seasons at Arkansas Fort Smith, helping the program capture the 2005-06 NJCAA National Championship. He then played three seasons at the UT Permian Basin and earned All-Heartland Conference honors.
Bailey earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from UT Permian Basin in May 2010 and a master’s degree in higher and postsecondary education from Arizona State in May 2012.”
