Rogers State University Men's Basketball

The Justin Barkley File Hometown: Inola, Okla. Education: Northeastern State; '04, '06 Family: Wife: Emily; Daughter: Sutton Coaching Background 2010-Pres. Rogers State, Head Coach 2008-10 Rogers State, Assistant Coach 2006-08 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Assistant Coach 2004-06 Northeastern State, Graduate Assistant Coach Career Records All-Time: 267-145 (.648) RSU Record: 267-145 (.648) Conference: 179-118 (.603) National Tournament: 4-2 (.667) By The Numbers 3 - National Tournament Appearances 3 - All-American selections 7 - 20-plus win seasons 13 - Winning seasons as a head coach 39 - All-Conference selections 159 - Career wins at the Claremore Expo Center Championships/Honors - 2015-16 Heartland Conference Regular Season Champion - 2015-16 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year - 2008-09 SAC Regular Season Champion (Assistant) - 2003 NCAA Division II National Champion (Player, NSU) - 1998 Oklahoma State Champion (Player, Inola HS)                     Justin Barkley has been at the helm of the Rogers State men’s basketball program for more than a decade, wrapping up his 15th season as the head coach in 2024-25, where the Hillcats reached the MIAA Conference Semifinals with a 23-10 (13-6 MIAA) record. Barkley’s tenure with the Hillcats has been measured with excellence, leading the program to 14 winning seasons and the Hillcats first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2019-20. The Hillcats earned an at-large bid after finishing second in RSU’s debut season in the MIAA. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA canceled the National Tournament days before the tournament was set to get underway. Rogers State has hit several milestones during the MIAA-era, including the highest-ranked victory in the NCAA era for the program, as the Hillcats snapped No. 11 Missouri Southern’s 26-game home win streak. The win helped propel the Hillcats to their first-ever NCAA-era top 25 ranking at No. 23 two weeks later. The Hillcats have climbed as high as No. 15 in the NCAA-era under Barkley. Under Barkley’s guidance, the Hillcats finished second in the regular season standings in their first season in the MIAA, often referred to as the toughest league in Division II, behind only No. 1 and defending national champion Northwest Missouri State. Barkley became the third head coach in the program’s history after being promoted to the role in the spring of 2010 and has continued a winning tradition over the last decade leading the Hillcats.   In his 14 seasons guiding the program, Barkley has led the Hillcats to at least 16 wins in all but one season, reaching the 20-win plateau seven times. RSU has been dominant on its home floor at the Claremore Expo Center posting a 119-25 record during Barkley’s tenure for a .826 winning percentage. Since being named the head coach in April 2010, Barkley has compiled an overall record of 290-150 for a .659 winning percentage. Barkley eclipsed the 250-win milestone on February 25, 2023 in a 80-68 win over Lincoln inside the Expo Center.   Barkley coached three-straight Heartland Conference Player of the Year recipients: Jeylyn Sharpe (2016-17), JC Hartzler (2015-16) and Frederico Santos (2014-15). Overall, he has also coached three All-Americans, five all-region/district honorees, three players of the year, one newcomer of the year, 24 all-conference selections and 12 conference player of the week selections.   Under Barkley, the Hillcats advanced to the Heartland Conference Tournament in all three seasons that Rogers State was eligible for NCAA Division II postseason, including a trip to the Heartland Conference semifinals in 2019.  He led the Hillcats to the first-ever Heartland Conference regular season team championship in the 2015-16 season winning the league with a 15-5 record. Following an 11-0 start, RSU clinched the title with an exciting rally in a 97-94 double overtime win at second-place Dallas Baptist in the final game of the regular season, leading to his honor as coach of the year.   During his first season, Barkley steered RSU through a memorable stretch run, as the team won 17 of the final 23 games of the regular season, allowing the Hillcats to streak to the NAIA Quarterfinals finishing with a record of 22-12. He led the team to the 2012 NAIA Quarterfinals for the second-consecutive season as RSU tallied a 24-9 record. In 2013, RSU tallied its sixth-straight, 20-win season with a 21-12 overall record.   Barkley, who served as the Hillcats’ assistant coach from 2008-2010, became the third head coach in the brief history of the program when he took over in 2010. He helped guide the Hillcats to a 52-13 record as an assistant where they claimed the school’s first Sooner Athletic Conference regular season championship, reached the NAIA National Tournament, and achieved a No. 1 national ranking in 2008-09.   The Inola, Oklahoma native began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Head Coach Larry Gipson at his alma mater, Northeastern State, following a storied playing career. He later spent two seasons as an assistant at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he helped the Golden Norsemen to a 27-9 record and their first national tournament appearance in 16 years.   As a player, Barkley led Inola High School to a state championship under the direction of his father in 1998. He continued his playing career at NSU, where he spurred the Redmen to a Division II National Championship in 2003.   He is married to the former Emily Warren, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a master’s degree in Health and Kinesiology. The couple has one daughter, Sutton.   Justin Barkley's All-Time Collegiate Head-Coaching Record Year Overall Conference Conf. Tourney Season Notes 2010-11 22-12 15-7, 3rd Semifinal NAIA Quarterfinals; Final Ranking #25 2011-12 24-9 15-7, 3rd Quarterfinal NAIA Quarterfinals; Final Ranking #8 2012-13 21-11 8-8, 5th Semifinal 2013-14 16-10 11-7, 5th n/a* 2014-15 20-8 14-6, 2nd n/a* 2015-16 23-5 15-5, 1st n/a* Heartland Conference Regular Season Champions 2016-17 19-10 12-6, 4th Quarterfinal 2017-18 18-11 9-7, 4th Quarterfinal 2018-19 20-12 8-8, 5th Semifinal 2019-20 24-6 15-4, 2nd Semifinal NCAA Tournament At-Large Bid; Tournament canceled by NCAA due to COVID-19 Pandemic; Final Ranking #18 2020-21 11-12 11-11, 7th Quarterfinal 2021-22 16-14 9-13, 10th Quarterfinal 2022-23 16-13 12-10, 6th Quarterfinal 2023-24 17-12 14-8, 5th Quarterfinal *NCAA Transition, Ineligible for postseason

Jimmy Boone officially became a Hillcat in April 2023 before being promoted to associate head coach in July 2025.  Boone arrived on the Hill after serving as an assistant coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith for four years. At UAFS, he recruited and coached the leading scorer in the Lone Star Conference three of the last four seasons. Under his watch, eight Lions earned All-LSC honors including the 2020 LSC Newcomer of the Year. During his tenure, Boone served as recruiting coordinator and oversaw scouting, player development and practice planning as well as coordinating all team travel.   Prior to joining UAFS, Boone spent seven years as an assistant at Delta State. While there, he helped guide the Statesmen to one of the most successful stretches in program history including three trips to the NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2013, as well as a regular season Gulf South Conference title in 2014 and a GSC Tournament Championship in 2019.   Boone was instrumental in the recruitment of two of the most accomplished players in DSU history, Devin Schmidt and Willie Readus. Schmidt finished his Statesmen career as the all-time leading scorer in Delta State and Gulf South Conference history (2,594 points) and was a two-time NABC All-American and 2016 GSC Player of the Year. Readus was also a NABC All-American and the 2014 GSC Player of the Year.   Before coming to Delta State, Boone spent the 2011-2012 season as an assistant coach at West Virginia Wesleyan where he helped guide the team to its first ever NCAA National Tournament victory. In the 2010-2011 season, he served as a student assistant coach for the Tusculum College men's basketball program.   As a player, Boone put together a successful four-year career at Tusculum, finishing with 831 points and 162 three-pointers, which was good for sixth-most in program history. During his junior season, he helped lead the Pioneers to a 20-11 record as they advanced to the SAC Tournament title game and later earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Boone finished his career as the all-time leader in NCAA Division II wins in Tusculum history. Boone holds a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Thomas Edison State University.   He and his wife Kiara have a daughter, Charlee Mae.

Seals joined the RSU men’s basketball program in the summer of 2026 after a successful career as both a player and coach at Newberry College in South Carolina, where he earned a master’s degree in sports management.   As a coach, he developed First-Team All-Conference player Drake Down and guided the team to a tie for second in scoring defense in the South Atlantic Conference during the 2024-25 season, allowing an average of 75.8 points per game.   During his playing career, Seals helped his team lead all NCAA Division I, II and III schools in offensive rebounding for the 2022-23 season and contributed to the most wins against Division II opponents in a single season in the program's history. Seals is no stranger to the Sooner State, having graduated from Ponca City High School. He was a four-year letter winner for the Wildcats and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team twice at the Enid Holiday Classic.