Tirrell Baines enters his first season in 2021-22 with the University of Charleston men’s basketball team as an assistant coach. Baines comes to UC after serving for the 2020-21 season at Pfeiffer University. At Pfeiffer, Baines helped the team to a 10-2 record and a USA South Conference Championship during the shortened Covid-19 season. Baines assisted the program with individual workouts, scouting, weight training, and academic oversight.
Prior to Pfeiffer University, Baines served as an assistant coach at Hopewell High School in nearby Huntersville, NC, as well as an assistant coach at The Woodlawn School in Mooresville, NC. While at The Woodlawn School, he helped the Blazers advance to the NCISAA 1A playoffs in 2020. Prior to his coaching at Woodlawn, Baines played professionally in Canada, Morocco, Israel and Uruguay. While playing in Canada, Baines scored 1,000 career points and had 500 career rebounds for three NBL teams, most recently the Island Storm in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Prior to coaching, Baines was a standout forward at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. While with the Herd, he earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors during his freshman year, starting in 29 of 30 games. During his career, he scored 1,238 points and pulled in 658 rebounds for the Herd which ranks in top-40 in program history. After completing his degree at Marshall in Sport Management, Baines was drafted in the 4th round of the NBDL (G-League) draft by the Erie BayHawks, an affiliate with the New York Knicks and played two seasons for the BayHawks before playing overseas. Baines resides in Dunbar, WV, is engaged to Stephanie White, and has two daughters (Layla (7) and Kinsley (newborn).
