Winston-Salem State University Director of Athletics Bill Hayes named Stephen Joyner Jr. as the new head women’s basketball coach Tuesday afternoon.

Joyner, 30, will leave his previous job as an assistant on the Florida A&M women’s basketball staff to pursue his first head coaching stint in his hometown of Winston-Salem.

Hayes, a former N.C. A&T head football coach and FAMU and N.C. Central athletic director, sees Joyner’s hiring as a step in the right direction for the struggling WSSU squad.

“Stephen Jr. is a perfect fit for our philosophy and desire to bring energy and excitement to our athletic program” said Hayes at a WSSU press conference. 

“He is a young, energetic coach who will bring a contagious enthusiasm to our women’s program that will help to ensure future success” Hayes added. 

Joyner graduated from Johnson C. Smith University in 2001 and also worked as a coach and player under his father Stephen Joyner Sr.

As a player, he ranked third in the CIAA with 104 assists (3.85 apg) as a sophomore and atop of the conference as senior at with 175 assists (5.47 apg).

His senior year also included JCSU winning the CIAA Tournament Championship and the South Atlantic Regional title, and advancing to the NCAA Division II “Elite Eight” in Bakersfield, Calif.

After his playing days were over, he received his first assistant coaching job under his uncle, Ed Joyner Sr.  on his men’s team at Livingstone College in 2001-02 and left the next season for the N.C. Central women’s basketball coaching staff where he would spend four years.

Following his tenure in Durham he returned to JCSU where he became the top assistant coach for the Lady Golden Bulls and assistant for the men’s basketball team that won the 2008 CIAA title.

His last two season were spent under LeDawn Gibson as a FAMU assistant women’s basketball coach where he helped the Lady Rattlers post a 32-28 record and beat Division One opponents that included South Florida, University of Florida and University of Alabama.

He talked about his plan of action for his first job as a head coach.

“The first thing is going to be finding the right help as far as a coaching staff,” Joyner said in a phone interview Sunday evening. 

“And the next thing is to finish what we already have at Winston as far as the talent level – and seeing what we can try to do as far as pulling as many player as we can at Winston-Salem.”

• Daniel Henderson