South Carolina, Lamont Paris officially announce the hire of Will Bailey as assistant coach

South Carolina made official on Wednesday that Will Bailey is joining the staff of the men’s basketball program as an assistant for head coach Lamont Paris. The Gamecocks announced the hire in a press release.

Bailey is leaving for the Gamecocks after spending only one season at Loyola Chicago. He previously was on staff at Saint Louis. Bailey has also previously worked at La Salle, East Tennessee State, Maine, Chicago State and UAB.

“I couldn’t be more excited to return to Columbia and be a part of coach Paris’ staff,” Bailey said in the release announcing his hire. “He has done such a good job the last two seasons and the upward trajectory of the program is something I can’t wait to be a part of. I am thankful to him for this opportunity. The SEC has become one of the best leagues in the country and I look forward to helping South Carolina contend for championships and postseason play. There’s a ton of positive momentum for the program right now, and I’m ready to hit the ground running with the guys soon.”

Paris was highly complimentary of Bailey and what he brings to the staff.

“I’ve really gotten to know Will over the years and, in that time, I’ve found him to be a man of tremendous character,” Paris said. “His work ethic and ability to forge incredibly meaningful relationships with players and coaches alike has really helped him in recruiting talented players. Will is no stranger to winning or to hard work and I look forward to adding his positive energy and winning mentality to our family!”

Bailey is joining a South Carolina program that is coming off of an excellent second season under Paris. The Gamecocks went 26-8 last season, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. South Carolina suffered a disappointing loss to Oregon in the NCAA Tournament. However, overall it was a great year for the Gamecocks.

As for Bailey, he is replacing Tim Buckley, who left for a spot on the Cincinnati coaching staff at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

Winning 28 games is not easy, so good luck trying to do that again. The goal for next year? Get back to the NCAA Tournament and see if there’s a run for the Gamecocks. Rosters will change, new players will be in and some will be gone, and South Carolina would love to have a similar level of success in 2025.

“Well, I mean, to replicate the most wins in school history, that’ll be difficult,” Paris said. “We could be significantly better next year and have a worse record. That’s the reality of it. So that’s why you’re always trying to identify the means by which you will gauge success, and it’s not just what the record is. Certainly, ultimately, we’d like to be playing back in this tournament again and put ourselves in position to do that. 

On3’s Matt Connolly contributed to this story.