UNCG interviewed Joel Justus before hiring Mike Jones, per report

For now, it appears Joel Justus will remain with the Kentucky Wildcats for another season.

Earlier today, Hoop Dirt reported that Justus was among the candidates who interviewed for the head-coaching job at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

However, Jeff Goodman is now reporting that UNCG will hire Radford head coach Mike Jones to the same position. Jones replaces Wes Miller, who was hired as the Cincinnati Bearcats’ next head coach recently.

A Winston-Salem (NC) native with deep ties in the Tar Heel State, Justus joined the Kentucky coaching staff in 2014-2015. His initial role was focused on analytics and implementing statistical data into the decision-making processes of the coaching staff. He was responsible for tracking in-house metrics but also those of opponents in order to create a tactical scouting report.

Justus immediately made a big impression on John Calipari, which led to a promotion to the title of special assistant to the head coach the following year.

Then in 2016, Justus would replace John Robic as one of the three primary assistant coaches on Calipari’s staff, as Robic moved into the special assistant to the head coach role.

During his time in Lexington, Justus has been the lead recruiter for Immanuel Quickley, Keldon Johnson, Johnny Juzang, Devin Askew, Skyy Clark, Bryce Hopkins, BJ Boston and Daimion Collins, according to 247 Sports.

There have been other recruitments of key players that Justus played a big hand in getting and was even among ESPN’s top 40 rising stars in college basketball, which was released in October of 2020.