HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton University has parted ways with longtime men’s basketball coach Edward “Buck” Joyner Jr.
HU announced Monday that it was not renewing Joyner’s contract after his team went 9-24 in the 2023-24 season and finished last in the Coastal Athletic Conference at 3-15.
They’ve begun a national search for his replacement.
“Coach Joyner is a good basketball coach and a tremendous person,” said HU Director of Athletics Anthony D. Henderson Sr. “Over the past 15 years, he has poured his heart and soul into the Hampton basketball program. Ultimately, we have not maintained the consistent level of success on the court that we expect. After a full review, we have decided to make a change in the basketball program’s leadership.”
The Pirates have struggled overall since leaving their 22-year home in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Their last winning season was in 2018-19, when they went 18-17 in the Big South Conference. They moved from the Big South to the CAA in 2022.
Prior to the changes, Hampton was consistently making the postseason, with three NCAA Tournament berths in 2011, 2015 and 2016, and an NIT appearance in 2018.
“Even this season, despite the lack of success on the court, Hampton had notable wins over longtime rival Howard in the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, CAA foes Towson, Campbell, and Monmouth along with an upset win over Elon in the opening round of the CAA Championships,” HU said. “With the win over the Phoenix Joyner became the only Pirates coach in program history to win a conference tournament game in every Division I conference in which the Pirates competed.”
Joyner finishes as the Pirates’ winningest coach at the Division I level with a 223-257 record.