Josh Hayes joined The Citadel basketball staff in September of 2020.
Under Hayes' guidance, the Bulldogs have made the most 3-point field goals (2,052) in NCAA Division I over the last six seasons, the only Division I program to eclipse the 2,000 mark in that category over that span.
During the 2020-21 campaign, The Citadel finished with a winning record for the first time since 2008-09, recording a 13-12 mark. The Bulldogs also won 11 games inside McAlister Field House, their most in a single season since the 2001-02 campaign.
Under Hayes' tutelage, Hayden Brown emerged as one of the top players in the SoCon, becoming the first Bulldog to average a double-double since 1970-71. Brown also captured consensus First Team All-SoCon honors, while Kaiden Rice was named Second Team by the media and Third Team by the coaches.
Hayes comes to The Citadel after spending the previous two seasons at Barton College, a member of Conference Carolinas, located in Wilson, North Carolina.
“We are extremely excited to have Josh join our basketball staff,” head coach Duggar Baucom said. “He has a very diverse background having lived internationally, and he has also coached at several different levels. His personality, work ethic and commitment to personal growth make him a perfect fit for our staff and a great role model for our players. We are excited to have Josh, Tia and Berkeley join our basketball family.”
“I am incredibly humbled and grateful to be granted an opportunity to serve and help develop special young men that are a part of this program here at The Citadel,” Hayes said. “To be able to serve under Coach Baucom, and be a part of an institution that is committed to excellence and developing leaders, is nothing short of an opportunity of a lifetime. It's an honor, and I am excited to get to work.”
During his two seasons at Barton, the Bulldogs accumulated 35 wins, including a mark of 22-8 during the 2018-19 campaign, which ended in the semifinal round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament.
Prior to his time in Wilson, Hayes spent the 2017-18 season as an assistant coach at Emmanuel College in Boston.
Before rejoining the college coaching ranks, Hayes spent three seasons as a coach in the North Carolina high school system, including serving as the head coach at Southern Alamance High School in Graham, North Carolina from 2015-17.
Prior to his stint at SAHS, he served as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, helping guide TSHS to the 2014-15 3A North Carolina High School State Championship title.
Hayes began his college coaching journey at Fitchburg State during the 2013-14 campaign.
Hayes started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Junius H. Rose High School in Greenville, North Carolina in 2011. In 2012, He relocated to become an assistant coach at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and while at NDP, he was a part of a staff that coached ten players that went on to play at the Division I level in college.
Hayes played one season of college basketball at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. During the 2010-11 season, Hayes led the team in assists and 3-point field goals. Hayes also spent one season at the University of Wyoming as a scout team player. In high school, he participated in the EBBL Turkish 3 league training camps.
Hayes is married to the former Tia Beasley, and the couple has one daughter.
