Southeast Missouri Head Coach Brad Korn announced the hiring of Assistant Coach DJ Byrd along with two title changes on his men’s basketball staff Monday.
Along with Byrd joining the staff, JR Reynolds was elevated to Associate Head Coach and Ryan Strohm was named Assistant Coach/Director of Operations.
Byrd was briefly at Barry University last summer before coming to Cape Girardeau. Prior to that, he was on the men’s basketball staff at Mercer University for five seasons.
An outstanding developer of guard play, Byrd coached several Mercer guards who earned All-Conference, All-Freshman and All-Tournament honors during their campaigns. The Bears also set numerous records in assists and 3-point field shooting during his tenure.
Byrd worked as a graduate assistant from 2017-19 at Purdue University. There, he was with the 2019 NABC National Coach of the Year, Matt Painter. The Boilermakers won the 2019 Big Ten regular-season title and made the program’s first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance since 1999-2000.
“DJ has a great pedigree having grown up in the rich basketball state of Indiana,” said Korn. “We welcome him to the Redhawk Family as he begins his seventh year following a brief stint at Barry University under Coach [Butch] Estes and Greg Gary at Mercer. DJ and his wife, Ashley, will be great additions to the SEMO area and community.”
A former standout as a player at Purdue, Byrd saw action in 130 career games and scored 890 points along the way. He made 195 three-pointers, ninth-most among Boilermaker career leaders. Byrd was the Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year in 2012 and helped lead Purdue to three NCAA Tournaments (2010, 2011, 2012). In 2010, the Boilermakers won the Big Ten Championship and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to the eventual NCAA National Champion Duke Blue Devils.
“As a player, DJ was an Indiana All-Star, Big Ten Champion and NCAA Sweet Sixteen participant,” added Korn. “He helped carry on the foundation of Purdue basketball playing with teamwork, toughness and a passion for the game. We welcome that same attitude here at SEMO.”
Byrd earned both his undergraduate (organizational leadership & supervision, 2013) and master’s (leadership, 2019) degrees from Purdue.
Reynolds starts his third year at SEMO after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach. He coached two All-Ohio Valley Conference performers and helped lead the Redhawks to their first OVC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 23 years during the 2022-23 campaign.
“JR has shown me his investment in our program here. There are steps and levels that we take in our profession, and this is a great opportunity for JR and his family,” said Korn. “We appreciate the effort that he gives with his knowledge of the game and overall experience to help guide our program into the future.”
Strohm will be an assistant coach and remain in his role as Director of Operations. He initially joined the Redhawks staff as Director of Operations in 2023-24.
“Ryan has shown a very natural progression as an assistant coach,” commented Korn. “He does a phenomenal job on the operation side and with the recent rule changes that allow for more on court and off campus recruitment. Ryan has stepped up and into that role as an assistant coach, as well.”
