| Jay Joyner will have the interim tag removed from his title and will become the next head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina A&T State University, as announced by Athletics Director Earl M. Hilton III on Monday.
Joyner, who was previously the Aggies associate head coach, took over the head coaching role on an interim basis after former head coach Cy Alexander resigned in January. The Aggies are 5-4 overall and finished 5-3 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.
“Coach Joyner’s energy and passion along with his ability to get his players to give their best effort on the floor each night is what we’re looking for in a head coach,” said Hilton. “I did not think it fair to evaluate Coach Joyner on wins and losses because when he took the position there were only nine games remaining on the schedule.
“I did want to, however, see how the players reacted to his leadership, and how they conducted themselves publicly. I am pleased with the job he is doing, and I thought it was important to remove interim off his title to help him and his staff recruit effectively.”
The position is Joyner’s first as head coach at a four-year institution. He played basketball at South Carolina State from 1993-96. Prior to joining N.C. A&T as the associate head coach in 2012, Joyner spent three seasons as the head men’s basketball coach at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee. There he led the team to a 61-23 record and two Tennessee Community College Athletic Association regular-season titles.
“Obviously I’m excited because this is a great opportunity,” said Joyner. “North Carolina A&T has a rich history and a great tradition in men’s basketball. It was voted one of the top 100 men’s basketball programs of all time at one point. For Chancellor Harold L. Martin and Mr. Hilton to trust me to lead a program of North Carolina A&T’s caliber is humbling.”
The Amityville, New York native holds a bachelor's degree in physical education from Middle Tennessee State. He and his wife Chartarra have three children. |
