Justin Bailey - Men's Basketball Coach - Indiana University Athletics

Justin Bailey

Title:
Director of Player Personnel

Justin Bailey, who has 15 years of collegiate coaching experience, was named the Director of Player Personnel for the Hoosiers on June 1, 2025.

AT INDIANA
In his debut season at Indiana the Hoosiers finished 18-14 and 9-11 in Big Ten Conference play. IU played the nation’s 36th-hardest schedule with 14 games against opponents that made the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers earned marquee wins over No. 12 Purdue (Jan. 27), at UCLA (Jan. 31), and against Wisconsin (Feb. 7).

Bailey helped senior guard Lamar Wilkerson garner All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Great Lakes District First Team accolades. Wilkerson averaged 20.9 points per game, the most by a Hoosier guard since Eric Gordon (2007-08), and upped his average to 23.2 points per B1G game, the most since George McGinnis (1970-71). He established program records for total points scored in Big Ten play (464), made 3-pointers in league play (70), made 3-pointers in a single game (10), and a Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall record for single-game scoring (44). Wilkerson became the second Hoosier in program history (Steve Alford, 1986-87) to make 100 3-pointers in a single season. Senior big man Sam Alexis set the school record for field goal percentage (68.7%) with a minimum of 100 made shots.

BEFORE BLOOMINGTON
Bailey, a native of Fort Smith, Ark., spent four seasons with the Sam Houston State Bearkats. He was an assistant coach from 2021-24 before earning a promotion to Associate Head Coach for the 2024-25 season.

During the 2024-25 campaign, Bailey helped mentor National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Gulf District guard Lamar Wilkerson during his breakout season. Wilkerson, a two-time All-CUSA first team selection, averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He was one of three players in Division I men’s basketball to make at least 100 3-pointers and shoot over 44.0% from behind the arc. Wilkerson reached double figures in the scoring column in all 32 games, topped 20 points on 17 occasions, including each of his final five games, and netted multiple 3-pointers in 28 contests.

In 2023-24, Bailey helped lead the Bearkats to an outright regular season Conference USA championship in its first year in the league. The Bearkats went 13-3 in conference play, including a perfect 8-0 record at home. Overall, the Bearkats accumulated 21 total wins for the season.

With Bailey overseeing the defensive responsibilities, the Bearkats were ranked in the top five in CUSA in the defensive stats, second in opponent 2-point field goal percentage (47.9), third in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (32.8) and third in adjusted defensive efficiency (99.3) according to KenPom in 2023-24.

The Kats finished 26-8 overall and 14-4 to earn a Western Athletic Conference regular season title in 2022-23. The 26 victories tied the program record for wins since becoming a Division I program prior to the 1987-88 season. SHSU earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament for just the second time in program history. Bailey helped mold WAC Player of the Year Qua Grant, All-WAC second team performer Donte Powers, and WAC All-Defensive Team honoree Javion May. Grant averaged 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and a WAC-best 2.0 steals per game.

His debut season with Sam Houston, 2021-22, saw the Bearkats win 19 games. He helped develop All-WAC first teamer Savion Flagg, who averaged 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest. He compiled nine double-doubles and was selected to the Lou Henson All-American Team.

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.

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 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 post-secondary education from Arizona State in May 2012.