Former Arizona guard Justin Coleman joins Tennessee Tech staff

Justin Coleman played only one season at Arizona, but in that short time it was evident he had a future in coaching basketball. And now he’s landed his first full-time gig.

Coleman has been hired by Tennessee Tech as its director of basketball operations, the school announced Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to have Justin join our Tennessee Tech men’s basketball family,” head coach John Pelphrey said in a news release. “Once again, we treated our search the same way we handle our recruiting process of student-athletes, being intentional, deliberate, and process-oriented. We have a commitment to bring in people who are curious learners, value leadership, and have a passion to develop relationships with our young men. I know, without a doubt, that Justin will exceed expectations.”

Coleman played for the UA during the 2018-19 season, starting 31 games while averaging 8.9 points and a team-best 3.8 assists per game. He began his career at Alabama and also played for Samford before joining the Wildcats as a graduate transfer.

After finishing his playing career Coleman spent the next two seasons with the UA as a graduate manager on Sean Miller’s final two staffs, then worked this summer for the Utah Jazz as a basketball operations intern.

Tennessee Tech is coming off a 5-22 season in 2020-21 under Pelphrey, who is entering his third year at the school after previous head coaching stints at Arkansas (2007-11) and South Alabama (2002-07). The Golden Eagles, who play in the Ohio Valley Conference, haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1963 and last had a winning record in 2017-18.