On April 3, 2009, Justin Namolik was named head men’s basketball coach at Shepherd University.
During the 2014-15 season, Namolik led the Rams to a 15-15 overall record. It was the fourth consecutive season the team finished with an overall winning percentage of .500 or better, a streak that last happened at Shepherd from 1990-94. During this stretch, the 2013-14 team posted a 20-10 record and finished third in conference. The 20 wins were the most since 1992 and the third place finish is the highest finish since the team finished third in 1994.
Since April 2009, Namolik has recruited 39 student-athletes who have collectively garnered one All-American honor, two All-District honors, three All-Region honors, and nine All-Conference honors. Twenty-nine of the 39 student-athletes he has recruited have graduated or are currently enrolled at Shepherd working towards their degree.
During the 2008-09 season as interim head coach, Namolik led the Rams to a 13-16 overall mark with an 11-9 conference record, including wins over #22 Pitt-Johnstown on Jan. 3, 2009 and West Virginia State on Jan. 7, 2009, the Yellow Jackets only loss in the WVIAC regular season.
He was an assistant coach with the Rams from 2006-08 and helped lead the Rams to a 32-26 record and Shepherd’s first back-to-back winning seasons in 14 years. He coached All-WVIAC First Team Danley Shank and was instrumental in recruiting Liki Turner, the 2008 WVIAC Freshman of the Year
Prior to Shepherd, Namolik was the top assistant coach at Saint Vincent College for three seasons, where he helped lead the Bearcats to a 68-24 record and two “Sweet Sixteen” appearances in the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The 2004-2005 team finished the season ranked #4 in NAIA Division II, 25-5 overall, and 14-0 in the AMC, becoming only the second team in the 56 year history of the conference to go undefeated in the regular season, joining the 1982-83 Walsh team coached by Bob Huggins. Namolik coached All-Americans Tony Washam and Kenny Roberts and All-AMC First Team Jeff Mallory. Namolik played a vital role in recruiting four players, Billy Bains, Javille Brooks, Mike Medved, and Marc Duncan, who received PAC Coaches Honors (PAC Coaches Honors is All-PAC equivalent for NCAA Division III provisional members). While at Saint Vincent, 17 of the 21 student-athletes he coached or recruited graduated from Saint Vincent.
Namolik played collegiately at Columbia University of the Ivy League for Armond Hill, a Princeton alum, former NBA player, and current assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers. He is the all-time leader in games started in Columbia history and is currently ranked 20th on the all-time scoring list with 1,040 career points. At the conclusion of his senior year, he received the Walter H. Benson Award, given to the Columbia basketball player who exemplifies spirit, hustle, and determination.
A West Virginia native, Namolik was a First Team All-State performer for Wheeling Park High School and during his senior year, he helped lead the team to a 24-2 record, a #1 ranking in state, and the 1995 AAA West Virginia State Championship.
Prior to his coaching career, Namolik worked on Wall St. and traded Nasdaq stocks for Heartland Securities for three years. He has a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering from Columbia University and a master of science degree in curriculum and instruction from Saint Vincent College.
He resides in Shepherdstown with his wife Kerri, their daughters Lilah and Scarlett, and their dog Duke.
