NORMAL, Ill. –Justin Jennings has been named as an assistant coach for the Illinois State men's basketball program, announced by Redbird head coach Ryan Pedon.
"We are excited to welcome Justin Jennings and his family to Illinois State," said Pedon. "Throughout this hiring process, it became very clear to me that Justin is exactly the type of person and coach that we wanted to add to our family. In addition to being a former head coach, Justin is an outstanding teacher of the game. He has a wide variety of professional experience that will prove to be very beneficial for our program. He has coached at the Division I, II, and III levels and has experienced great success at every stop along his journey. Justin also played college basketball for good friend and Hall of Fame Head coach Dave Niland at Penn State-Behrend."
Jennings, the 2025 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, comes to ISU after spending the last three seasons at the helm of the Edinboro basketball program. He helped guide the Fighting Scots to their first back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins since 2014-15 and 2015-16. His PSAC Coach of the Year award came on the heels of an eight-game improvement from his first and second seasons as head coach.
"I am incredibly honored and excited to join Coach Ryan Pedon and the Illinois State Men's Basketball program," said Jennings. Illinois State has a rich basketball tradition, a passionate fan base, and a clear vision for sustained success. I am grateful to Coach Pedon for the opportunity to be part of a staff that is committed to developing young men both on and off the court."
During his three seasons at Edinboro he coached five all-conference honorees, including 2024-25 and 2025-26 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, and a PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year.
"Justin is a very talented and well-rounded coach that will enhance our program in many ways," said Pedon. "In addition to recruiting and player development, Justin will coordinate our offense. He has a very creative offensive mind and will bring new thoughts, ideas and concepts to our offensive system. Please join me in welcoming Justin, his wife Holly, and their two children Avery and Easton to the Redbird family. "
Prior to Edinboro, he spent seven seasons on staff at Drexel University, including in 2021 helping the Dragons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 25 seasons. While at Drexel the offense had the three highest season-scoring averages in school history, and in 2018-19 the Dragons set the record for highest point per game average, while also having their three-best three-point shooting seasons, including hitting a school-record 241 three-pointers in 2019-20.
"What stood out to me immediately was the strong culture Coach Pedon and his staff have built, along with the undeniable momentum of a program that is rapidly establishing itself among the premier programs in the Missouri Valley Conference and gaining recognition on the National stage. My family and I are excited to be a part of Redbird Nation, and I can't wait to get to work alongside out student-athletes, staff, alumni, and supporters."
He spent two seasons at the United States Military Academy, helping lead the Black Knights to a 34-27 record, including a 19-13 campaign in 2015-16. The 19 wins were the most for an Army team since the 1977-78 season. He also served as the head coach of the US Military Academy Preparatory School for three seasons, compiling a 77-18 record while overseeing all aspects of the program. He also spent time coaching at Carnegie Mellon and his alma mater Penn State Behrend following his college graduation.
A native of western Pennsylvania, he played his high school basketball at Seneca Valley before playing collegiately at Penn State Behrend. When he graduated, he ranked third in school history in career assists, and his teams had an 81-28 record on the court.
