Senatobia, Miss. — Northwest Mississippi Community College announced the hiring of Justin Mann as its new men’s basketball head coach on Wednesday. Mann becomes the 13th coach in program history.
Northwest President Dr. Michael J. Heindl expressed enthusiasm about the appointment. “I am excited to welcome Coach Justin Mann to the Northwest family,” he said. “His community college and university experience make him a great fit for our student-athletes as we continue to build on our program’s momentum.”
Mann joins Northwest after coaching at NCAA Division II University of West Florida for the past two seasons. During his tenure, he led the Argonauts to a 25-9 record in the 2025-26 season, won the Gulf South Conference Tournament championship, and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament — the program’s second-ever appearance. His teams improved their win totals significantly in his second year.
Before West Florida, Mann gained success at the NJCAA level as head coach at Independence Community College in Kansas. His 2022-23 team defeated three top 25 programs on a challenging schedule. He was promoted from assistant coach to head coach after two seasons at the college.
Mann’s coaching career also includes stints at Daytona State College, Thomas University, Eastern Nazarene College, and Meridian Community College. At the NJCAA Division I level, he helped sign over 25 athletes to Division I schools and 10 to Division II programs, according to the college.
He inherits a program that made the Region 23 Tournament for the first time in four years during the 2025-26 season. Mann said he aims to build on this foundation and bring the team to national prominence. “I want Northwest Mississippi to be a destination for student-athletes across Mississippi and beyond,” he said. “My goal is to compete for state and region championships and ultimately elevate the program to a national level.”
A native of Peoria, Illinois, Mann played college basketball at Lander University, where he was a two-year starting forward. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a master’s in business administration. Mann and his wife, Daley, married in 2023.
