Will Bailey, who spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant at East Tennessee State, is in his fifth season as an assistant men's basketball coach at La Salle in 2014-15.
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Bailey works directly with the guards and played a key role in the development of Earl Pettis (A-10 Most Improved Player, All-Big 5), Ramon Galloway (two-time All-District and All-Atlantic 10) and Tyreek Duren (three-time All-Big 5, two-time All-Atlantic 10). La Salle ranked fourth nationally in three-point percentage at 40.6% in 2011-12 thanks in part to Bailey's instruction.
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He was instrumental in the Explorers 2012-13 Sweet 16 season, in which the team won 24 games, including three in the NCAA Tournament over Boise State, Kansas State and Ole Miss. The Explorers also recorded key ranked wins over #9 Butler, #16 VCU and #12 Kansas State and finished third in the Atlantic 10, which was ranked as the seventh best conference in the nation.
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Bailey was also influential in the Explorers 2011-12 season in which the team won 21 games and reached the NIT, the first postseason appearance for the program in 20 years. The 21 wins were also the team’s most since 1990.Â
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In his seven seasons at ETSU, Bailey helped lead the Buccaneers to three NCAA Tournament berths (2004, 2009, 2010), an NIT appearance (2007), and four 20-win campaigns. During that time, the Buccaneers won six conference championships.
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In 2010, the Bucs won the Atlantic Sun Championship and had a 20-15 record and in 2008-09, ETSU posted a 23-11 record and NCAA Tournament appearance.
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Bailey coached two of the top three scorers in program history at East Tennessee State in Tim Smith and Courtney Pigram, two honorable mention All-Americans (Zakee Wadood, Pigram) and three conference players of the year (Wadood, Smith, Pigram). In addition, 11 players were named all-conference selections.
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Bailey, a native of Chicago, played at Alabama-Birmingham from 1995-97 and served as team captain of the 1996-97 squad that reached the NIT. He was selected the team's best defensive player in 1997, and was UAB's representative to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
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He began his coaching career as a student assistant at UAB, helping guide the Blazers to the 1998 NIT. He then served as a graduate assistant at UAB from 1999-2001, assisting a team that made the 1999 NCAA Tournament before moving on to Chicago State in 2001-02.
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Bailey was an assistant coach for Maine for Giannini in 2002-03, with duties that included recruiting, on-floor instruction, scheduling and pre-game preparation.
