Joey Higginbotham - Director of Athletics/Coordinator of Trojan Club - Staff Directory

After 14 seasons as the Trojans' Men's Basketball Head Coach, Joey Higginbotham was promoted to Director of Athletics. He succeeded Jeff Eisen, who retired from administration after 16 years as the Trojans’ Vice President for Athletics. Prior to his promotion he was a member of the University of Mount Olive men’s basketball coaching staff since 1999, and was named head men’s basketball coach in May 2008.  He succeeded Bill Clingan, who retired from coaching after 19 years as the Trojans’ head coach.

As head coach, Higginbotham guided Mount Olive to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the second time in school history and to their first-ever 30-win season in 2014-15. Mount Olive posted a 31-4 record and won the Conference Carolinas regular-season title with a 19-1 mark.  Mount Olive won the NCAA II Southeast Regional as the No. 4 seed, defeating top-seeded Lincoln Memorial.

During his 14 seasons as Head Coach, Higginbotham was named Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Coach of the Year four times. He was also selected as 2009-10 NABC Division II Men's Basketball Southeast Region Coach of the Year.  Throughout his UMO coaching career, Higginbotham had an overall record of 231-140 and a conference record 166-84. He has also had an impact on the academic side with 97.3 percent of his basketball student-athletes graduating.

On March 1, 2008, with Higginbotham at the helm, the men's basketball program made school history with it first ever live national television appearance in a game against rival Barton College which aired on what is now CBS Sports Network.

On the personal side, Higginbotham is married to Jaime Kylis-Higginbotham, former Trojan Head Softball Coach and current UMO Professor.  They have two daughters, Addison and Gracelyn. The family lives in Mount Olive.