If you're listening to this podcast, you know that the power of the block M is a real thing,

but it's always fun hearing others not just get introduced to it, but really experience it.

And New Michigan Assistant Coach, Justin Joyner, is proof of that.

He's gone through that in recent weeks.

A month ago, his entire coaching career took place in the state of

California. Now, as he'll discuss here in a little bit on this episode, he's heard go blues

wherever he's traveled while donning the maize in blue, even back in his home state.

Of all the hires announced a couple of weeks ago, this one seemed to come from out of nowhere, at least much

more than any other. Dusty May and Justin Joyner didn't have much of a relationship a month

or so ago, let alone years of experience working with each other, like Dusty has shared with

a few others on the staff. And the Mike Boynton Jr. hiring was received really well. It

certainly wasn't necessarily

widely predicted, but he was too good of a coach to not be a high priority for programs

looking to build out a staff after his time as the headman at Oklahoma State. But when you look

at Justin Joyner's trajectory and where he has spent time, as a college coach,

it's been at one stop and a very successful one at St. Mary's.

He's been there since 2017, and he's worked his way up, director of basketball operations,

to assistant coach, to associate head coach.

And while he has been on staff, the Gales won more than 70% of their games,

and they swept the West Coast Conference's championships last season, regular season, and tournament.

And Joyner worked under an outstanding mentor and a great coach in Randy Bennett.

Still, the allure of Michigan and the relationship he formed in a pretty short period of time

...