Talby Justus - Women's Basketball Coach

Talby Justus

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
talby-justus@utulsa.edu

Talby Justus is in his first year with the Golden Hurricane as an assistant coach, joining the team prior to the 2021-22 season.

Justus came to TU after serving as the head boys basketball coach at Pawhuska High School for the 2020-21 season, where he coached his son, Holton, a senior, and led the Huskies to a 16-5 record.

Previously, Justus spent seven seasons (2013-20) as a member of the UT-Arlington women’s basketball coaching staff, including the final two years as the Associate Head Coach for the Lady Mavericks. At UTA, Justus’ primary focus was on the defensive end of the ball, as well as assisting in recruiting, scouting, academic monitoring and helping to develop the Bluebloods, UTA's male practice squad.

After a rebuilding year during the 2013-14 season where UTA posted a 4-25 mark, Justus led the program to a 117-69 overall record in the next six years for a 62.9 winning percentage. UTA had their most successful season in program history in 2018-19 as the Lady Mavs secured the program's first Sun Belt Conference regular season championship, made their sixth postseason tournament appearance (WNIT) and won a postseason (excluding conference tournaments) game for the first time in program history with their WNIT First Round triumph over Stephen F. Austin (60-54). UTA also finished the season with 24 wins, which tied for the most in a single season with the 2006-07 squad.

Justus also played a role in the program's rebuilding at the start of the Krista Gerlich era. The Lady Mavericks had the top recruiting class in the conference for the 2013-14 season as selected by Dan Olsen Collegiate Girls Basketball Report (54th in Division I). The squad completed the largest turnaround in program history, as well as in NCAA Division I after having a 14-win improvement between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons and earned a spot in the Sun Belt Championship.

Prior to joining the UTA staff, Justus spent two seasons (2011-13) as a member of the New Mexico State Junior College coaching staff. Before moving to the collegiate level, the Stillwater, Oklahoma native worked in the Oklahoma high school ranks for 13 years, including stops at Ripley High School (girls) and Glencoe High School (boys).

Justus played four years of college basketball. He first attended Northern Oklahoma Junior College in Tonkawa, Okla., then finished his collegiate career at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.

During his tenure at Tabor, he was named all-conference and led his team to an Elite Eight and Final Four appearance at the NAIA II National Tournament in 1996 and 1997. On May 15, 2010 Tabor College inducted the 1996-97 team into the Tabor College Hall of Fame.

During his high school playing career at Pawnee High School, Justus played for his father, Harley Justus, who coached in Oklahoma for more than 35 years.

Justus earned his bachelor's degree from Tabor College in 1998 and his master's degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2008.

Justus and his wife, Lori, have three children Talby Jr., Holton, and Makenna.