#MUBB Names Jeremy Ballard Assistant Coach

Marquette men's basketball head coach Shaka Smart announced Tuesday afternoon the hiring of Jeremy Ballard as an assistant coach.

Ballard most recently served as the head coach at Florida International University (FIU) for eight seasons, where he became the winningest coach in school history and was just the second program mentor to surpass 100 career victories.

Ballard joins the Marquette staff after the departures of assistant coaches Nevada Smith, who was named the head coach at Siena on April 1^st, and DeAndre Haynes, who left the program at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season after five years with the Golden Eagles.

"Jeremy Ballard is one of the best coaches I have been around in 27 years in college basketball," Smart said. "He will add value to our program in a wide variety of ways."

Immediately following his 2018 hiring, Ballard orchestrated a quick turnaround leading FIU to a 20-win season and the program's first trip to the postseason (CIT) in more than 20 years. As a team, the Panthers set several single-season school records, including points (2,798), rebounds (1,218), assists (491) and steals (359), led the nation in steals-per-game (10.6), turnover margin (5.6) and turnovers forced (19.6), and was second in total steals. These accomplishments earned Ballard finalist honors for the Ben Jobe Award and the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award, which recognizes the country's premier first-year head coach.

Ballard's tenure featured significant player development, including mentoring Osasumwen Osaghae to the program's first CUSA Defensive Player of the Year honor and Denver Jones to the first First-Team All-CUSA selection in school history. The program continued to reach milestones under his leadership, such as setting school records for assists (34) and three-pointers (20) in 2021, Arturo Dean being named the first CUSA Freshman of the Year in program history in 2023 and securing a conference tournament victory over Jacksonville State in 2024. Ballard's system consistently produced elite defensive metrics and all-league players, solidifying his impact on FIU's modern era.

"I am beyond grateful to Coach Smart and Marquette University for this incredible opportunity to join a national championship program," Ballard said. "I'm thrilled to reconnect with Coach Smart and help him and the staff on the quest for winning championships and maintaining a championship culture."

Ballard spent three seasons on Smart's staff at VCU (2012-15), highlighted by 79 wins, three NCAA tournament appearances, and the program secured its first Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament title in 2015. During that time, VCU won at least 26 games each season and finished each season ranked in the Associated Press Top-25. In all, Ballard coached three eventual NBA players at VCU, Troy Daniels, Briante Weber and Treveon Graham.

Ballard arrived at FIU after serving as associate head coach at VCU in 2017-18. He spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach at the Division I level with coaching stints at Pittsburgh, Illinois State, VCU, Tulsa and his alma mater - Colgate.

In 2017-18 under head coach Mike Rhoades, his main coaching focus was on VCU's defense. The Rams finished 18-15 that season and advanced to the Atlantic 10 Conference quarterfinals. Forward Justin Tillman was named All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team, as well as to the All-Defensive Team.

Ballard served as an assistant on Kevin Stallings' Pittsburgh staff during the 2016-17 season, where he coached All-ACC Third Team and USBWA All-District II forward Michael Young and All-ACC Honorable Mention selection Jamel Artis. Young led the ACC in scoring, averaging 19.6 points per game.

In 2015-16, Ballard helped guide Illinois State to an 18-14 overall record and a 12-6 Missouri Valley Conference mark, which tied for second place and signified ISU's highest league finish and most conference wins since 2007-08. Working primarily with Illinois State's forwards, Ballard helped MiKyle McIntosh earn MVC Most-Improved Team accolades. McIntosh was also a 2016 All-MVC Honorable Mention Team selection.

Ballard's three seasons on Smart's staff at VCU were preceded by five seasons at Tulsa (2007-12) where he helped guide the Golden Hurricane to 109 victories, including three 20-plus win seasons. Tulsa had nine all-conference honorees, including a first-team selection in each of his final four seasons. Ballard either recruited or coached three NBA players – Jordan Clarkson, Jerome Jordan and Ben Uzoh – during his time at Tulsa.

In his first season, Tulsa piled up 25 wins and a berth in the Conference USA championship game. The Golden Hurricane eventually won the inaugural College Basketball Invitational championship and that postseason appearance was followed by back-to-back National Invitation Tournament showings.

Prior to his time with the Golden Hurricane, Ballard was an assistant at his alma mater Colgate (2004-07). During his time as a student-athlete at Colgate, Ballard won the prestigious ECAC Merit Medal Award twice, becoming only the third player in Colgate history to do so. He twice earned Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recognition and was given the title of the team's best defensive player by the coaching staff during his senior season. Ballard also served as a captain during his senior season.

An Atlanta native, Ballard graduated from Colgate in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in religion. He has a son, Khalif Jamal.

Marquette University Athletics

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