James Long is Returning Home to Lead the University of Charleston

Former Mountaineer guard James Long is back in the college coaching ranks

Best Virginia head coach James Long / Mike Lawrence/TBT

Former West Virginia University guard James Long is expected to become the next head coach for the University of Charleston men’s basketball team.

Long returned to coaching last season at Davidson Day High School after spending the previous year as the COO of Court XIV and General Manager of the Carolina Factory. Long led Davidson Day to its second men’s basketball state title after defeating Greenfield 74-64 in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A state championship game.

The Charleston (WV) native spent three years at WVU Tech (2019-22).  He led the Golden Bears to a 23-8 record in his first season at the helm, including a River States Conference Championship, and was named Rivers States Conference Coach of the Year. He led WVU Tech to a consecutive conference title in 2021, and last season, he guided the program to a 26-6 record and an appearance in the River States Conference Championship. In three seasons, he posted a 62-21 overall record in three seasons.

In four seasons at West Virginia University, Long appeared in 23 games and graduated from WVU with a bachelor's degree in finance while earning Academic All-Big 12 Men's Basketball First Team and the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Under the tutelage of former WVU head coach and Hall of Fame inductee Bob Huggins, he was the video coordinator for two seasons before accepting his first head coach position at West Virginia Tech in 2019.

Long has led Best Virginia, a team primarily comprised of former WVU men's basketball alumni, the last three summers in the TBT.