The Bucknell Bison women’s basketball program completed their coaching staff with the hiring of former Hampton men’s basketball head coach Edward “Buck” Joyner Jr. as associate coach. Head Coach Trevor Woodruff announced the hire last week.
“We are fortunate to find someone with Ed’s history of success as a head coach,” said Woodruff. “He has hit the ground running and we’ll benefit greatly from his experiences.”
Joyner brings a wealth of experience to the role with his 15 seasons as leader of the Pirates. He became the winningest coach in program history with 222 wins. Seven of his teams made postseason tournaments, including three NCAA Tournament berths, and his squads received postseason bids for sixth straight seasons. 24 former players have played professionally.
In his second season, the 2010-11 Pirates recorded a 24-9 record and a 11-5 mark in MEAC play. They won the conference tournament title and received a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament where Hampton played one of the most prestigious college basketball teams in Duke.
His 2014-15 Hampton team entered the MEAC conference tournament as the sixth seed and made a Cinderella run by winning the title and receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As a 16 seed, they faced and defeated Manhattan 74-64 in the First Four round. The victory paired them versus undefeated Kentucky in the Round of 64. Hampton played the history-seeking Wildcats tough and only trailed by five with 11 minutes remaining in the first half. In the second half, Kentucky only outscored Hampton by four points (38-34) in a respectable 79-56 showing.
Joyner followed up the campaign by returning to the NCAA Tournament during the 2015-16 season. The Pirates went 21-11 overall and their 13-3 conference record won the regular season title. Hampton clinched the conference tournament title again and, again slotted as the 16-seed, faced Virginia in the Round of 64.
Before those two NCAA Tournament bids, Joyner guided the 2013-14 Pirates to the CBI. They dropped a close 69-65 decision at Penn State in the First Round.
The 2016-17 Hampton squad made the CBI but lost 83-67 to eventual runner-up Coastal Carolina in the First Round.
The following year, his team finished tied for first in the MEAC and made the conference tournament championship game where they fell 71-63 to North Carolina Central. Per the guidelines of the era, the Pirates received an automatic bid to the NIT. Hampton journeyed to Notre Dame for the First-Round game.
His final postseason experience came the next season in the CIT. The Pirates went on a run to the semifinals. They hosted now-defunct St. Francis Brooklyn in the first round winning 81-72. Conference member Charleston Southern arrived in the second round. The Pirates beat the Buccaneers in the Battle of Piracy, 73-67. The Pirates sailed to NJIT and upset the Highlanders 82-70. Eventual champion Marshall edged Hampton, 80-78, in the semifinals. Marshall’s championship game victim Green Bay fell 90-70 to the Thundering Herd. The run was the deepest in Hampton & HBCU history.
Joyner guided Hampton’s transition through two conference realignments. He started his coaching career in the MEAC, and before the 2018-19 season, the university joined the Big South. The Pirates spent four seasons plundering the conference before leaving after the 2021-22 campaign for the Coastal Athletic Association.
Before being tabbed the head coach at Hampton, Joyner spent three seasons as an associate head coach for the Pirates. During his time, he developed First Team All-Conference guard Rashad West and the 2006-07 MEAC Rookie of the Year Mike Freeman.
Previous to his Hampton tenure, he served as an assistant coach for men’s and women’s basketball at his alma mater Division II Johnson C. Smith University. He was instrumental in developing seven All-Americans and made the NCAA Tournament seven times on the men’s side. He helped the women’s team reach the Division II NCAA Tournament.
Joyner had a stellar playing career at Johnson C. Smith playing under his uncle, leading the Golden Bulls to three CIAA division titles, two trips to the CIAA championship game, and three NCAA Division II Tournament berths. Twice, he was named Defensive Player of the Year and finished his career among the school’s top 10 assist leaders.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Johnson C. Smith in 1999 and a Master of Science Degree in Sports Administration-Intercollegiate Athletics from Hampton in 2016.
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