The IUPUI Athletics Department and Head Basketball Coach Jason Gardner announced that Roy Hairston has joined the program as an assistant coach. Hairston brings more than 20 years of basketball experience to the Jaguars’ sidelines, having trained elite players at the high school, collegiate and professional levels.
“I’m thrilled to be adding someone of Roy’s caliber to our coaching staff,” Gardner said. “He’s got a lot of history in this state, both as a player at Purdue and as a coach. He’s worked with some of the best players from the state and I think he’s going to come in right away and make our big men better through his ability to teach the game.
“I know he’s hungry for the opportunity and just ready to get started.”
Since 2010, Hairston has been coaching and training with EG10 (Eric Gordon All Stars), having worked with a group of players that includes Trevon Bluiett, Gary Harris, Collin Hartman and VJ Beachem. He’s also trained a number of future NBA players at St. Vincent’s Sports Performance, including No. 1 NBA Draft pick Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Mario Chalmers, Gordon Hayward, Jeff Teague, Marquis Teague and Carl Landry.
In 2011, he coached in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas as an NBA D-League Select Assistant Coach after winning the D-League Conference and League titles with the Iowa Energy with a 37-13 record.
Hairston spent the 2015-16 season as an assistant at Marian University and has previous stints at Park Tudor and Cathedral High Schools. He helped Park Tudor capture the 2014 IHSAA Class 2A state title and the 2013 Marion County crown on way to a 21-3 record. In 2012, he helped Cathedral win the Indianapolis City title and finish the year with a 20-4 mark.
As a player, Hairston won championships at every level, beginning with a high school championship at Henry Snyder (N.J.) High School in 1990 and a junior college championship while at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. He later won back-to-back Big Ten titles in his two seasons at Purdue and captured multiple European league titles during his 10-year international professional career.
At Hutchinson, Hairston helped the Blue Dragons to the 1994 National Championship and was named the NJCAA Player of the Year. He finished his junior college career as Hutchinson’s all-time leading scorer (1,687 points) and was later named to the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
While at Purdue, he led the Boilers in steals in each of his two seasons and averaged 8.3 points per game as a starter for a 26-6 team in 1995-96. Purdue went 51-13 in his two years with the program and was 30-6 in Big Ten play during that span. He closed his Purdue career with 574 points and 306 rebounds while starting 47 times in 64 appearances, earning Third Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior.
Hairston earned his B.S. in Family Science in 1997.
He will assist in all facets of the program and is expected to start on Monday, Aug. 15
http://www.iupuijags.com/news/2016/8/8/iupui-adds-hairston-to-mens-basketball-staff.aspx?path=mbball
