New Barry University men’s basketball coach working to return Bucs to glory

After a quarter-century as an assistant men’s basketball coach, Justin Furr is finally running his own program – and he’s not going to get out-worked.

Furr, 48, was named Barry University’s men’s basketball coach on May 1, replacing Butch Estes, who retired after 12 years with the Bucs.

“I’m excited,” Furr said. “It feels like I’m coming home.”

That’s because Furr – who is a native of North Carolina and played college ball at Wingate – had some of his most successful years at Barry as Estes’ assistant coach.

In Furr’s five years at Barry, the Bucs went to the NCAA Division II Tournament each time. And, in Furr’s final season as a Barry assistant, the Bucs made it to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years. They also won an exhibition game over Auburn, which went on that year to win the SEC regular-season championship.

“I’m delighted with the choice,” Estes said of the Furr hiring. “I don’t think they could’ve hired anybody who fits Barry better.

“Justin was responsible for recruiting many of the players that took us to the highest levels of Division II basketball. And, since he left Barry, he prepared himself even more to become a head coach.”

Indeed, in the past seven years since leaving Barry, Furr was a Division I assistant coach, first at Florida Gulf Coast and then at Indiana State, the school made famous by Larry Bird.

In Furr’s three seasons at Indiana State, the Sycamores went 69-38, including a 32-7 record and a berth in the NIT championship game in 2023-2024. That was Indiana State’s best record in 44 years.

Which leads us to how hard Furr has been working at Barry.

After getting hired last week, Furr left his home in Terre Haute, Indiana at 3:30 a.m. to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Miami. From there, he and assistant coach Kevin Donahue worked until 10:30 p.m. as they strive to put together a roster for the 2025-2026 season.

“Not every day is going to be like that,” Furr said. “But the next day was a 14-hour day. There are long days in this job, but I’m thrilled with the reception I’ve gotten from local high school and junior-college coaches. It’s been awesome.”

The Bucs are coming off a 12-17 season, which is a long way down from the 117-37 record that Estes posted with Furr as his assistant. In those five seasons, Barry’s average record was 23-7.

Since then, Sunshine State Conference rival Nova Southeastern University hired coach Jim Crutchfield, and the Sharks have dominated the league … and the country.

Over the past three years, NSU has won two national titles and finished second once, leaving schools such as Barry in the proverbial dust.

“Coach Crutchfield has a unique style, and I have the utmost respect for him,” Furr said. “He has put a stranglehold on the league, but we’re going to try to match up with them.”

Furr said that, going forward, Barry will be analytically driven, meaning a fast offense that hunts layups and 3-pointers. The object will be to score in the first 15 seconds of every possession.

Barry, which will primarily run a man defense, has six scholarship players returning. That includes five players who started games last season: Malik Stanley; Michael Bradley III; Adren Roberts; Akeem Crandon; and Sami Elkamel.

Furr said he is looking to sign three or four more players, and he is optimistic he will find some gems.

“There are so many players available now due to the transfer portal,” Furr said. “There are players visiting our campus that we never could’ve gotten previously.

“I’m just trying to be patient.”

Furr said he is confident he can bring Barry back to where it was one decade ago.

“It’s not going to be built in a day,” Furr said. “But we’re looking for players with competitive character – guys who will give you their best no matter the circumstances.

“We want problem solvers and not excuse makers.”