Queens University of Charlotte Men's Basketball

Queens University of Charlotte head men's basketball coach Grant Leonard officially welcomed Bobby Horodyski as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in the summer of 2023. Horodyski comes to the Queen City following a four-year stint as the director of basketball operations at Brigham Young University.   As a member of the Cougars staff, Horodyski was responsible for overseeing all recruiting efforts, non-conference scheduling, NIL, personnel hiring, and academics. As a lead recruiter, Horodyski helped land the Cougars highest ranked prospect in Collin Chandler who was a 4-star recruit and ESPN's No. 26 prospect in the class of 2022.   In the 2022-23 season, the Cougars posted a 19-15 overall record and finished 85th in the final net rankings and 76th in the KenPom rankings. Horodyski assisted in the development of Second Team All-WCC standout Fousyenni Traore and All-WCC Freshman Team performer Dallin Hall. In three of the four seasons at BYU, Horodyski helped the Cougars finish top 70 in the KenPom defensive rankings, including a ranking as high as 30th.   In 2021-22, BYU secured the No. 2 seed in the NIT after going 24-11 overall. The Cougars were the 50th-ranked offense according to KenPom as First Team All-WCC standout Alex Barcello led the charge. Fousyenni Traore emerged as one of the top newcomers in the league landing All-WCC Freshman Team recognition.   Horodyski was a valuable contributor to the Cougars 2020-21 NCAA Tournament squad which secured a No. 6 seed in the big dance. BYU finished the season ranked No. 23 in the Associate Press final poll and turned in the 23rd-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense according to KenPom. Alex Barcello, Matt Haarms, and Brandon Averette were All-Conference performers while Haarms was named the WCC Defensive Player of the Year.   In his first season at BYU, the Cougars posted a 24-8 record which featured a third-place finish at the Maui Invitation. The Cougars were the nation's leading three-point shooting team at 42.2 percent and the third-highest offensive efficient team at 1.039 PPP. BYU took down No. 2 Gonzaga at home marking the highest-ranked home win in program history. Horodyski guided the development of All-WCC performers Yoeli Childs, Jake Toolson, and TJ Haws. BYU finished the season ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll, No. 16 in the Coaches Poll, ninth in the net rankings, and 13th in the Ken Pom rankings.   Prior to joining the BYU staff, Horodyski spent four seasons at Utah Valley University serving in an operations role. With the Wolverines, the squad set a single-season Division 1 program record with 25 wins, led by the WAC Player of the Year Jake Toolson and WAC Freshman of the Year Wyatt Lowell. Additionally, the Wolverines took down a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in New Mexico State and Cal State Fullerton in 2017-18. That unit set the single-season scoring record by pouring in 78.1 points per game. The season prior, Utah Valley overcame the largest deficit in the past 20 years of NCAA Division 1 basketball with a 27-point comeback win at Denver.   Horodyski began his collegiate coaching journey as the head manager for the University of Central Florida men's basketball team. While on staff, Horodyski assisted with daily operations and recruiting. The opportunity opened a door as a graduate assistant at the University of Wyoming where he assisted with game operations, player development, recruiting, and scouting.   Horodyski was a two-year letter winner at Central Florida on the basketball team after spending two seasons at Marshall University. A co-captain for the 2012-13 season at UCF, Horodyski helped the team amass 42 wins in two years, including a trip to the 2012 NIT.

Former Queens men's basketball standout Dan Bailey, joined the men's basketball coaching staff in the summer of 2022 as an assistant coach.  Bailey comes back to his alma mater with a wealth of knowledge in coaching, skills, and the game of basketball, as he has spent the past nine years as a coach/instructor on the heels of a seven-year professional basketball career overseas.   Bailey, undoubtedly, left his mark on the Royals' history books as he is the all-time leader in field goals made (687), defensive rebounds and defensive rebounds per game while sitting in third in career points (1,771) and second in rebounds (812).  He was a three-time all-conference forward in his time here at Queens and was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District team twice.  As a senior, Bailey led the team in scoring with 18.0 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, and shot 52 percent from the field. After graduation, Bailey went on to have a successful professional basketball career that saw him trek the world, making stops in Romania, Finland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.  He then transitioned into the coaching world in 2013 by starting Gamechangers Basketball Camp in Columbia, S.C.  In 2016, he took it a step further becoming a tour coach and skill development instructor for AAU basketball here in Charlotte where he worked with players to assess their strengths and teach them how to use those strengths to their advantage.  Bailey also has a strong background in game strategies and basketball analytics, both as a player and coach. This past July, Bailey was added to the coaching staff of Team D2 of The Basketball Tournament, which is headed up by coach Leonard.  It afforded him the opportunity to work with a variety of athletes from the Division II level and hone his skills which will make him a valuable member of the coaching staff here at Queens.  

Damian Dixon joined the Royals staff in the summer of 2024. An experienced college basketball coach, Dixon brings seven years of coaching tenure, including three years in Division 3 and four years in Division 2. Dixon has worked directly with professional talents Justin Robinson, Malachi Smith, Darin Green, and Trinity Baptiste throughout their careers.   A Greensboro College graduate, Dixon got his coaching career underway at his alma mater as the head junior varsity coach. Dixon led the squad to an undefeated season in 2016-17 before earning a promotion to assistant coach of the varsity squad in 2014. Across three seasons as an assistant coach, Dixon coached and developed five USA South All-Conference performers, including the 2014-15 USA South Player of the Year, Simeon Howard.   The success led Dixon to the Sunshine State where he joined Eckerd College as an assistant coach from 2020 to 2023. While on staff with the Tritons, Dixon assisted in the development of three Sunshine State All-Conference winners, including the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year. Dixon served a critical role in the program's operations specializing in scheduling and travel, file editing and scouting breakdowns, and player development.   Dixon earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Greensboro College before attaining his Master of Science from Florida International University. Dixon was a four-year guard for Greensboro College and received numerous accolades, including a two-time USA South All-Conference selection, two-time USA South All-Tournament Team, and NCCSIA All-State Second Team honor. Dixon finished his career top five in program history in scoring, rebounds, three-pointers made, and steals.

Head coach Grant Leonard welcomed Amit Tailor in November to serve as the Director of Advanced Scouting. Tailor brings extensive experience in video scouting, computer programming, advanced statistical analysis, and player development with programs and organizations like Clemson, Florida, Santa Clara, and the Houston Rockets.   Last season, Tailor spent the year with the Grand Rapids Gold, the NBA G-League affiliate of the 2023 NBA Champions Denver Nuggets. With the organization, Tailor served as the Equipment and Manager of Basketball Operations primarily assisting with player development and practices, scouting, and operation logistics. Prior to his time in Grand Rapids, Tailor worked as a Video and Player Development Associate with the Houston Rockets where he was responsible for opponent scouting, video preparation, on-court practice participation, and research projects assisted by the coaching staff and front office.   Before making the jump to the professional ranks, Tailor spent six seasons at the ACC level as a Video Coordinator for the Clemson Men's Basketball team. With the Tigers, he oversaw analytics to aid self and opponent scouting while learning and integrating hardware and software technology to assist with player development. While in Clemson, Tailor helped the Tigers make a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 2017-18.   Tailor got his start in college coaching as an Assistant Video Coordinator with the University of Florida Men's Basketball team. While in Gainesville, Tailor conducted extensive research in basketball analytics to assist the coaching staff with future decision-making. A key point of his work was live coding games and opponents for film and halftime breakdown. The two seasons with the Gators opened up an opportunity as a Video Assistant and Analytics Coordinator with the Santa Clara Men's Basketball team. Tailor assisted with day-to-day operations and rebuilt the video room and video scouting workflow which assisted with player and scout breakdowns.   Tailor is coming off a year in which he served as an assistant coach for the India Rising TBT Basketball Team. With the team, Tailor assisted in game planning, scouting, player development, and fundraising and community engagement. A significant highlight from his time in Dayton was the biggest upset in TBT history as they defeated top-seeded and host Dayton.   Tailor graduated with the highest distinction from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He proceeded to get a Master of Science from Yale University in Chemistry before later attaining a Master of Science from Santa Clara University in Engineering Management and Technology.

Adam Short joined Queens in the summer of 2024 after spending the last two seasons as a graduate assistant for Texas and Ole Miss Basketball under head coach, Chris Beard. With the Longhorns and Rebels, Short was the Director of Player Development and worked specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Short was heavily involved in practice plans, scouting reports, and in-game adjustments for both power programs. Off the court, Short was a key contributor to recruiting and served as the head academic coordinator for both programs.   With the Rebels, Short helped Ole Miss rank sixth in the SEC in defensive scoring as opponents averaged 73.9 points per game. The Rebels forced the sixth most turnovers in the league at 12.4 per game, including the third most steals in the SEC at 7.8 per game. The year prior, Short helped a Texas defense rank fourth in the BIG 12 in scoring defense as opponents averaged 67.8 points per game. The Longhorns defense also ranked top five in the league in blocked shots and steals.   Before getting his start in high-major basketball, Short worked his way through the ranks of NAIA, JUCO, and Division 2. Short got his first coaching gig as a graduate assistant for the Avila University Men's Basketball program in Kansas City, Missouri before transitioning to an assistant coaching role at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas. Following a season with the Tigers, Short accepted an assistant role at Missouri State University – West Plains. With the Grizzlies, Short developed and coached four All-Region standouts and sent four players to the Division 1 ranks.   The success led Short to an assistant role at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri where he spent five seasons on staff. With the Roadrunners, Short coached a pair of All-Americans and 15 All-Region players. Under his direction, Short sent 18 players to the Division 1 ranks and coached the school's only three academic All-Americans.   As Short continued navigating the basketball ranks, he landed an assistant position at the University of Central Missouri and an operations position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. With Central Missouri, Short led the program's recruiting efforts while also preparing scouting reports and serving in a player development role. Once he transitioned to SIU Edwardsville, Short took over basketball operations and oversaw the team budget while also organizing team logistics and travel. His success opened the door for a graduate assistant position at Texas in 2022-2023.   Short earned his bachelor's degree in English from Avila University before attaining his master's degree in organizational development.

Queens University of Charlotte head men's basketball coach Grant Leonard welcomed Sean Evans to the Queens program in the summer of 2025. Evans brings 14 years of professional playing experience to the Royals program and will serve as the Director of Player Development.   "Sean is an unbelievable addition to our staff with both his playing experience and early coaching experience last year," said Leonard. "Our players will gravitate towards him with his expertise playing at St. John's and professionally for 14 years. He also coached under Mike Dunlap, a former NBA head coach and national champion in college. Sean's character and demeanor make him a future star in this profession."   Evans comes to the Queen City following a season as an assistant coach at Colorado Mesa University under former Charlotte Bobcats head coach and St. John's assistant, Mike Dunlap. In his role with the Mavericks, Evans focused on developing the team's forwards, conducting individualized training sessions aimed at improving footwork, positioning, and overall on-court effectiveness. Evans' efforts contributed to the emergence of three All-Conference selections. During his first season, CMU finished third in the conference standings at 19-9 and led the league in rebounding.   Evans brings firsthand knowledge, credibility, and an elite standard to player development and coaching with a wealth of knowledge in offensive and defensive strategies and techniques.  Evans also provides leadership and mentorship to student-athletes, fostering growth on and off the court. Evans was a four-year forward at St. John's University from 2007-11, and helped the Red Storm reach the NCAA Tournament in 2011. As a sophomore, Evans played in 34 games and averaged 10.3 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.   The success in college allowed Evans to continue his playing career at the professional level. Over his 14-year professional career, Evans played in some of the world's most esteemed leagues in the United States, Germany, Korea, Israel, Turkey, Greece, and many others. In his second professional season, Evans was chosen in the 2012 NBA Development League Draft by the Idaho Stampede, the former NBA G-League affiliate of the Utah Jazz. With the Stampede, Evans averaged 12.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.   In the summer of 2017, Evans competed for Team FOE, a Philadelphia-based team in The Basketball Tournament on ESPN. Across four games, Evans averaged 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 56 percent shooting to help Team FOE advance to the Super 16 Round in Brooklyn, N.Y.   "I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Leonard and the rest of his staff here at Queens," said Evans. "The Synergy between players and staff is high level here, and that's an important part of the recipe to a championship caliber team. I look forward to adding value each day here as a Royal."