Justin Joyner comes to Ann Arbor to serve as an assistant coach with the University of Michigan Basketball program after a successful seven-year coaching stint under legendary coach Randy Bennett at Saint Mary's College (Calif.)
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After completing his studies at UC Santa Barbara, Joyner started working as an individual skill development coach as well as coaching on the AAU circuit. He then transitioned to the collegiate level in 2017, joining Saint Mary's as the Director of Basketball Operations. Following a successful season, he was promoted to assistant coach.
Bennett appointed Joyner as the associate head coach for the 2022-23 season after four successful seasons as an assistant. During his two-year tenure, Joyner played a crucial role in helping the Gaels achieve an impressive 53-16 record. He helped the team win two West Coast Conference (WCC) regular season titles, the 2024 WCC Tournament title, and make two consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
During Joyner's seven seasons under Bennett, the Gaels have achieved a 171-60 record, with an 83-24 mark in WCC play. The team has had six seasons with 20 or more wins, including a 30-6 mark in the 2017-18 season. Overall, Saint Mary's has maintained a winning percentage of nearly 75 percent since Joyner's tenure began.
Saint Mary's has been a strong competitor in the WCC, having secured six 10-plus win seasons. SMC has continued to battle with Gonzaga, a national powerhouse, for the conference crown. The Gaels won back-to-back regular season championships (2023 and 2024) and finished as runner-up three times in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Additionally, they have won two West Coast Tournament titles (2019 and 2024) and been the runner-up three times.
Overall, Saint Mary's has made six postseason trips, which includes four NCAA Tournament appearances including the last three seasons (2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024). The Gaels have also made two trips to the NIT in 2018 and 2021, and in 2018 they advanced to the quarterfinals.
Joyner mentored several players who received WCC honors. Jock Landale and Auguswtas Marciulionis were both named WCC Player of the Year in 2018 and 2024, respectively. Logan Johnson (2023) and Mitchell Saxen (2024) were named WCC Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive years, while Tommy Kuhse was named the 2022 WCC Sixth Man of the Year.
Saxen and Aiden Mahaney were named to the WCC's All-Freshman Team in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Additionally, four other Gaels players were honored in the WCC's All-Academic Team, including three-time honoree Kuhse (2020, '21, '22) and two-time recipient Kyle Bowen (2022, '23). Saxen was awarded in 2023, while Jordan Hunter was awarded in 2019.
Overall, 13 Gaels players earned 21 All-WCC honors under Joyner's guidance. The list includes Alex Ducas (2nd, 2022, '24; HM, 2023), Malik Fitts (1st, 2019, '20), Jordan Ford (1st, 2020; 2nd, 2019), Calvin Hermanson (2nd, 2018), Joshua Jefferson (HM, 2024), Johnson (1st, 2023; 2nd, 2021, '2), Kuhse (1st, 2022), Landale (1st, 2018), Mahaney (1st, 2023, '24), Marciulionis (1st, 2024), Emmett Naar (1st, 2018), Saxen (1st, 2023, '24) and Matthias Tass (1st, 2022).
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Joyner played college basketball at UC Santa Barbara (2006-11) for five seasons under the guidance of head coach Bob Williams. In his 112-game career, Joyner was a three-time captain and named to the 2007 All-Big West All-Freshman Team. He missed his 2008-09 season following wrist surgery.
Joyner played a pivotal role in helping the Gauchos win two Big West regular season titles (in 2008 and 2010) and back-to-back Big West Tournament titles (in 2010 and 2011), which gave UCSB two consecutive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. With two 20-plus win seasons, Joyner helped the Gauchos achieve a 77-48 record with a 40-24 conference mark throughout his career.
Joyner led UCSB in assists as a sophomore (116, 3.6 apg) and again as a fifth-year senior (114, 3.8 apg), which helped him rank ninth in the Gauchos' all-time top-10 with 357 assists. He holds the record for most assists in a Big West Tournament game with nine against Pacific (March 10, 2011) and is tied for the second-most in a game all-time at UCSB with 12 against Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 16, 2011).
Additionally, he is third all-time with 134 steals and has the seventh-best steals in a season with 51 in 2010-11. He bookended his career by leading the Gauchos in steals as a freshman (36; 2006-07) and as a fifth-year senior (51; 2010-11).
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During his prep career, Joyner attended the renowned De La Salle High School and played for Frank Allocco. As a senior in 2006, he led the Spartans to a final record of 32-1, a No. 3 national ranking and to the CIF Division I state championship, defeating Clovis West with a thrilling 43-40 victory after Joyner sank the clutch free throws with 7.7 remaining to secure the win.
Named the Bay Valley Athletic League's Player of the Year and first-team member, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while leading the team with 66 three-pointers. He was named an All-State Division I honors, All-East Bay first-team honors by the Contra Costa Times and second-team by the San Francisco Chronicle. He added All-Area first-team accolades by the Oakland Tribune and was a second-team member of the All-Northern California by NorCal Preps
During Joyner's career at De La Salle, his team won three Bay Valley Athletic League titles and two NorCal championships, with an impressive record of 113-12.
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Joyner is married to Tracy (Hamm) and they have a daughter named Weslee. Tracy had a remarkable four-year collegiate soccer career at Cal (2002-06). She helped the Bears secure three NCAA Tournament appearances and was also a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic Team selection (2003-05), a two-year captain (2004-05), and a 2005 Pac-10 All-Conference selection.
Tracy was inducted into the Cal Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019. After a professional career, she shifted her focus to coaching. She became the head coach at San Francisco in 2015 before taking over the UC Davis program for the last five seasons.
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The Justin Joyner File
Born: February 25, 1988
Hometown:Concord, California
High School: De La Salle High School
College:UC Santa Barbara (2011)
Degree:Sociology
Wife: Tracy (Hamm)
Children: daughter, Weslee
Career Resume
Seasons | Program | Position |
2017-18 | Saint Mary's College | Director of Basketball Operations |
2018-22 | Saint Mary's College | Assistant Coach |
2022-24 | Saint Mary's College | Associate Head Coach |
2024-present | University of Michigan | Assistant Coach |
Career Breakdown
Season | Program | Overall | Conf. | Finish | Tournament | Postseason |
2017-18 | Saint Mary's | 30-6 | 16-2 | 2nd | WCC: Semifinal | NIT: Quarterfinal |
2018-19 | Saint Mary's | 22-12 | 11-5 | t-2nd | WCC: Champions | NCAA: First Round |
2019-20 | Saint Mary's | 26-8 | 11-5 | t-3rd | WCC: Runner-up | -- |
2020-21 | Saint Mary's | 14-10 | 4-6 | 7th | WCC: Semifinal | NIT: First Round |
2021-22 | Saint Mary's | 26-8 | 12-3 | 2nd | WCC: Runner-up | NCAA: Second Round |
2022-23 | Saint Mary's | 27-8 | 14-2 | t-1st | WCC: Runner-up | NCAA: Second Round |
2023-24 | Saint Mary's | 26-8 | 15-1 | 1st | WCC: Champions | NCAA: First Round |
2024-25 | Michigan | 0-0 | 0-0 | -- | -- | -- |
Career Totals | 171-60 | 83-24 |
Career Seasons
School | Year | Games | Overall | Conf. |
Saint Mary's | 8 | 231 | 171-60 | 83-24 |
Michigan | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Career | 9 | 231 | 171-60 | 83-24 |
Postseason
NCAA (4): 2019 (1st), 2022 (2nd), 2023 (2nd), 2024 (1st)
NIT (2): 2018 (QF), 2021 (1st)
Regular Season Titles
West Coast Conference (2): 2023, 2024
Tournament Titles
West Coast Conference (2): 2019, 2024