JC Smith hires Antwain Banks as interim basketball coach

Antwain Banks

Johnson C. Smith opened the post-Steve Joyner basketball era by hiring a CIAA outsider as head coach.

Antwain Banks, a former assistant coach at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, was appointed on an interim basis starting May 15. IUPUI, a Division I program, fired Banks on March 6 along with the rest of head coach Matt Crenshaw’s staff after a 14-79 run over three seasons, including 6-26 in 2023-24. As associate head coach, Banks oversaw the Jaguars’ defensive schemes and alignments as well as operations.

Joyner, who mutually parted ways with JCSU last month after 36 seasons, won 600 games with the Golden Bulls, nine CIAA division titles, three conference tournament titles (2001, 2008, 2009) and a Division II Elite Eight berth in 2001. Joyner’s 600 wins are third best in CIAA history behind Winston-Salem State’s Clarence Gaines and Dave Robbins of Virginia Union.

The Golden Bulls went 14-12 last season – their first above .500 since the 2020-21 campaign – but were eliminated in the CIAA tournament for the third straight year.

Although JCSU is Banks’ first job at a CIAA program, he’s no stranger to Black college basketball. He spent four seasons as head coach at Division II Kentucky State, where the Thorobreds went 51-59 from 2011-15 with consecutive 15-win seasons (2012-13, 2013-14). Dinesha Hendricks, JCSU’s new athletics director, was Banks’ boss at KSU.

Over three seasons (2018-21) at Division I Alabama A&M, where the Bulldogs went 19-58, including 6-9 in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

Before AAMU, Banks was an assistant at Division II Clayton State (Ga.), where he helped the Lakers to a 24-7 campaign in 2017-18 that included a share of the Peach Belt title and a first-round win in the NCAA tournament. Clayton State's 24 wins were the second-most in school history and the Lakers finished the season fourth in the regional rankings.

Banks started his coaching career at Indiana Southeast, where he was a point guard for two years before making the transition. In five years as an assistant coach, the Grenadiers win 166 games and earned five berths in the NAIA Division II tournament.

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