ASU Hires Kentucky Assistant Coach Joel Justus To Same Role

TEMPE, AZ — Longtime Kentucky assistant coach Joel Justus has been hired to the same role at Arizona State.

Justus comes to Tempe after spending seven seasons in Lexington, including five as an assistant coach to Wildcats head coach John Calipari.

He replaces Rashon Burno, who left ASU to take a head coaching job at Northern Illinois University.

Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley called the university's decision to hire Justus as one that will energize the Sun Devils' men's basketball program.

"Joel's experiences working at Kentucky for the last seven years are invaluable. He checks all the boxes in what you look for in a high-level coach," Hurley said. "I am really enthusiastic about the opportunity to work together and further advance Sun Devil Men's Basketball."

Justus was a member of the Wildcats' staff under Calipari that reached the 2015 Final Four and won the Southeastern Conference regular season title in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

He and Hurley are tasked with guiding the Sun Devils back to success on the hardwood in 2021, after ASU posted an 11-14 record a season ago.

Calipari said he gave Justus his blessing to move west, saying his longtime staff member will blossom in Tempe.

"He had my blessing, but I want to make sure we all recognize that we are losing someone who was a big, big part of all our success over the last several years," Calipari said. "From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Keldon Johnson to Immanuel Quickley and others, Joel was not only the point guy with some of our players who became special, he helped develop them, teach them and challenge them. Joel is one of the top young assistants in the country who I believe will make a heck of a head coach someday soon. I wish him the best and I will always be a great supporter of his."