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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Year at Ole Miss:
- Third
- Email:
- jpreilly@olemiss.edu
- Phone:
- 662-915-7534
- Alma Mater:
- BYU (2011)
John Reilly was hired as the Ole Miss strength and conditioning coach in April of 2023. He has worked with head coach Chris Beard at three schools across nine seasons, after working with Beard at Texas and Texas Tech, and brings well over a decade of collegiate coaching experience to the Rebels.
As a head basketball strength coach at four different universities, Reilly has won conference championships and made it to the NCAA tournament at each stop. He has assisted in the development of two NCAA All-Americans, two NBA first round draft picks, and eight total NBA players.
During his two seasons at Texas from 2021-23, he helped the Longhorns win 51 total games, including four victories at the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, he helped Texas secure the 2023 Big 12 Tournament title and a No. 2 seed at the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns went on to reach the Elite Eight after victories over Colgate, Penn State, and Xavier.
In his first year in Austin, Texas earned an 81-73 win over Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64, marking the school’s first NCAA tournament win since 2014. The Longhorns led the Big 12 and finished No. 10 in scoring defense (60.6 ppg), ranked second in the league and No. 22 nationally in turnover margin (+3.4) and second in the league in turnovers per game (11.5), showcasing a culture of defense and ball security.
During Reilly’s five years (2016-21) with Beard at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders posted five straight winning seasons and an overall record of 112-55, including an impressive 9-3 mark at the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history in 2018 and returned the following season with a trip to the 2019 National Championship Game. After the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, the Red Raiders advanced to the 2021 NCAA Tournament Second Round.
Texas Tech registered a 74-13 mark in home games at the United Supermarkets Arena in this five-year stretch, including a 33-12 record in Big 12 contests. Texas Tech produced a total of two all-Americans, 13 All-Big 12 selections, and 21 Academic All-Big 12 honorees during Reilly’s five years on staff.
Three Texas Tech players were selected in the NBA Draft under Reilly’s watch. Zhaire Smith became the second NBA Draft first-round pick in program history, when he was selected No. 16 overall by the Phoenix Suns. Jarrett Culver was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Jahmi’us Ramsey was selected No. 43 overall in the 2020 Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
Before his time in Lubbock, Reilly worked on the strength and conditioning staff for four years (2012-16) at North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C. In his first season at North Carolina Central, he supervised the entire Olympic sports program. Reilly then served as the department’s head of strength and conditioning for three years (2013-16). He helped the NCCU men’s basketball team win the program’s first Division I regular-season conference title and conference tournament title while advancing to the school’s first NCAA Tournament during the 2013-14 season. NCCU also earned back-to-back MEAC Football championships and claimed FCS playoff berths in 2014 and 2015.
Reilly spent one year (2011-12) on the Football strength and conditioning staff at The University of Texas, working under both Jeff Madden and Bennie Wylie. He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant strength coach at his alma mater, Brigham Young University, and the University of Michigan in 2011 prior to joining the Texas staff.
Reilly was a track and field multi-event athlete at BYU, helping the Cougars win the 2010 Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field title in his junior season. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science from BYU in 2011. Prior to attending BYU, Reilly served a two-year mission in Rio de Janiero, Brazil where he learned to read and speak fluent Portuguese.
A native of Killeen, Texas, Reilly is a certified collegiate strength coach from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. He is certified in Applied Functional Science (CAFS).
Reilly and his wife, Jessica, have three children, Preslyn, Sienna and John.
